Return Of The Elemental
Disclaimer: I thought I'd put one of these up again. I don't own anything about Harry Potter, although the characters in this story are mine... I think.
Chapter 15 – Family Heirloom's And The Death Of A Friend
Harry and Hermione entered the great hall in high spirits. They were still giggling a little as they sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Ron and Crystal.
'So. How was it?' Crystal asked as soon as their asses hit their seats.
'It. Was… Amazing.' Hermione said with a dreamy sigh.
'What do you mean amazing? What did you do?' Ron asked whilst leaning in hear all the goss. Harry was about to answer when a cough from behind made him turn around. Standing behind him was professor McGonagall.
'Mr Potter, Miss Granger, the headmaster has requested your company for breakfast in his office this morning. You have also been excused from your first class this morning. This coincidently happens to be my class. But don't worry I'll both give you extra work in your next lesson.' She then turned on her heal and left the hall.
Harry and Hermione shared curious glances, then turned and gave apologetic smiles to Ron and Crystal before leaving the hall for Dumbledore's office.
'What do you think he wants?' asked Harry.
'Probably just to see how our holiday went.' Hermione replied confidently.
'Err. Hermione? Do you think we should tell him about our engagement?' Hermione, after hearing this stopped before the gargoyle and looked at Harry.
'Why? Don't you want people to know about us?' She asked worriedly.
'NO. I mean, yes I want people to know about us… But don't you think we should wait till I get you a ring. I mean I want everything to be perfect for you.'
'I believe I might be able to provide some assistance.' Harry and Hermione both jumped a foot of the ground. Upon landing they turned to the unexpected observer.
'Professor Dumbledore.' Harry breathed out relieved.
'Perhaps you would like to come up to my office so I can elaborate.' He then went back through the open archway, void of the massive gargoyle that usually stood guard.
/ He must have come down and open the archway whilst we were talking. / Hermione said through their link. Harry just gave a nod and followed as Dumbledore walked in through the door to his office. Dumbledore then waved his hand and shut the door which Hermione had just passed clipping her robes. After Harry and Hermione looked back around they were caught in a surprisingly strong bear hug from the Hogwarts resident headmaster. When Dumbledore pulled back he was smiling proudly at the pair. Harry could also see a solitary tear rolling down his cheek.
'It seems you have some very big news? Of curse you don't have to tell me but from what I've already heard I think I can put the pieces together. Although I must tell you that I was not eaves dropping. I just happened to be behind my gargoyle when you started talking.' Dumbledore's forever twinkling eyes sparkled as unshed tears built a barrier for his eyes to hide behind.
'We were going to tell you. It's just that I wanted to get Hermione a ring first. You know, to kind of make it proper.'
'But what about the ring that she already bears, what purpose does it hold?' Dumbledore asked curiously. Harry looked down at Hermione's hand and lifted it up so Dumbledore could look at the said ring.
'This is the key that opened the door for Hermione to enter the Order. With this ring and a bit of training Hermione will be able the element of Air.' Harry explained as Dumbledore poked and prodded the clouded ring.
'Amazing. Absolutely amazing.' Dumbledore said with his eyes so close to the clouded ring that it almost started twinkling from his reflection. Then as quick as a poker up a pervert he turned and raced up a staircase that Harry and Hermione assumed was the old mans living quarters. A second later Dumbledore was walking back down the stairs caressing a small red jewellery box.
'Now as I was saying before, I believe I may have your answer to your ring predicament.' He then tried to push the box into Harry's unwilling hands.
'Professor I thank you for your thoughtfulness, but I cannot accept this.' Harry said stubbornly as he pushed the ring back into Dumbledore's bony fingers.
'Why can't you accept it my boy? I shan't understand why. The ring rightfully belongs to you. You are the last Potter after all.' Harry stopped pushing as he mouthed gaped open. Dumbledore took this advantage and with one final push successfully put the red and gold lined box in Harry's shaking hands.
'W-Wh-Wh…..' Harry choked looking down at the box.
'Yes Harry. The rings inside that box were the very same rings that your mother and father used on their wedding day. The night that they were murdered by Voldemort, there was barely anything in the house that was recognisable. Voldemort stole or demolished everything that was in your house that night. Only a few things survived.' Dumbledore then led the stunned Harry with Hermione's help to a couch that was set up on the side of the office and continued to talk.
'These things included a trunk full of items that were very dear to your parents. Unfortunately one of those things has been destroyed. I talk of your father's invisibility cloak which was burnt during the night you disappeared with Merlin. But do not fear Harry that was just one of the many items that your parents possessed. The trunk and it belongings currently reside in the Potter family vault in Gringotts, which is where I placed it that night.' Taking a place next to Harry on the squishy lounge he took the jewellery box out of Harry's hands. Then with a click the box opened and two glorious rings came into view before Harry and Hermione's eyes. Hermione gasped.
'Oh Harry they're beautiful.' She said as she placed a hand on Harry's knee and moved closer.
Harry then reached out tentatively and grabbed the box off Dumbledore. The ring on the right was obviously made for the woman. The theory behind this assessment might have been the bright red ruby that was perched on top of the ring. Then going round the outside of the ring were seven small emerald stones. The ring was stunning. Harry picked it up and then looked at Hermione whose eyes were shining more than the actual ring. Without taking his eyes off her, Harry moved to the floor, got down on one knee and presented Hermione with his mother's wedding ring. Hermione extended her left hand whilst her right covered her mouth. Tears were gliding down her joyful face as Harry pushed the ring right up her finger so it finally rested next to her elemental ring. Done with the process Hermione flung herself at Harry, crash tackling him to the forgotten headmaster's office floor where they showed how much love they held for each other. Professor Dumbledore chose this time to slink out of his own office. With one last look at the teens- No. Adults, he left singing a little tune.
'Da dum de dum, da dum de dum…….'
When Harry and Hermione finally finished showing their love, they got up and walked over and looked at the forgotten ring. The ring that once belonged to James Potter was a simple silver band that had snitches and lions engraved on the outer side. Hermione picked it up and placed it on Harry's waiting finger. Then looking back from the ring to Harry, whispered.
'Like father like son.'
Harry and Hermione left Dumbledore's office walking hand in hand. Their first class, Transfiguration, was just about to end so they decided to head to their next class, which happened to be DADA. While they were walking down the hall of Hogwarts, the newly engaged couple would lean up or lean down and kiss, lick or suck any part of the others neck possible. Hermione was currently winning having found a place behind Harry's ear that made him shiver and make incoherent noises. They stopped with their hanky panky just before entering the defence classroom which also happened to be the same time the bell that was magically enhanced rang throughout the castle.
Professor Shacklebolt didn't seem to be present yet so Harry and Hermione sat themselves in the front row and began talking animatedly. They were just holding their hands in front of their faces having a closer look at the rings when three high pitched shrieks met their ears.
After landing back on their seats they turned to see Crystal, Lavender and Parvati jumping up and down and clapping their hands with big smiles on their faces and their teary eyes looking directly at Harry and Hermione still entwined hands. All of a sudden they rushed at Hermione and ripped her ring hand away making Hermione look as though she was just about to answer a question in class.
'It's beautiful.'
'So when is the big day?'
'You better tell me everything and I mean everything that you did on your weekend in Aust-.'
'Crystal!' Hermione growled warningly.
'I-I what I meant to say is, er…' Crystal was saved from having to digging herself any deeper when the boy we loved to hate started to scatter the growing haggle of girls.
'What's going on here? Well, well, well. If it isn't perfect Potter, can't go anywhere in this place without causing a scene can you Potter?' Draco Malfoy said with his girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson at his side.
'Piss off Malfoy.' Harry said without emotion, whilst he watched Pansy whisper something in Malfoys ear. Malfoy then looked at Pansy then looked to where Hermione was rubbing her hand. Having it just been grabbed by every girl within distance.
'You've got to be kidding me.' Malfoy said loudly. 'Potter, is it true? You've asked that- that thing, that filthy piece of mudblood flesh, that ugly….'
Harry shut his words off as he caught a glimpse of Hermione's face before she hid it behind her bushy hair. He was about to jump up and pull Malfoy's intestines through his mouth when a person with a deep cough cleared his throat from the doorway.
'Potter, Malfoy, just the lads I was hoping would volunteer.' Kingsley Shacklebolt's rich baritone voice rang out over the classroom. He then moved and sat down behind his desk and put his hands behind his head, gazing at Malfoy with a look of malice continued. 'Class you will be happy to know that we have finished our work with protective shields for now and that we were going to start working on the Patronus charm. But I've decided that it would be good to learn hand to hand combat. I mean who knows when there wand could be disarmed. Without a wand a Wizard is defenceless.' He then scanned the room to find any objections, finding none he smiled and sent a secret wink to Harry.
'So Potter, Malfoy how bout you come to the front of the class and show us what you've got.'
Harry whispered something in Hermione's ear before he smiled dangerously at the fearful Malfoy. He took an offensive stance and waited for Malfoy to enter the fighting ring that Kingsley had just transfigured from a spare table, and then watched gleefully as Malfoy tried unsuccessfully to enter through the ropes that surrounded the ring.
Malfoy finally got through the ring and stood shakily facing Harry. He could remember only to well his and Harry's previous encounters.
Harry then called his staff and watched as Malfoy reached for his wand but even before Malfoy had his wand out Harry had already given his staff to Kingsley. Malfoy looked at his wand forlornly and threw it to his DADA teacher.
'Right, now the fighting technique we are going to learn today is a muggle sport called Boxing. Basically it is just punching the other opponent's lights out. Now because we don't want anyone getting hurt in these lessons I have charmed these.' He said whilst holding up two pairs of boxing gloves. 'To only give you a slight nose bleed no matter how hard the other person beats the snot out of you.' As he was saying this he was looking directly at Malfoy. Harry, by this time had already taken off his robe, rolled up his sleeves and had put his blood red gloves on.
As soon as he saw Lucius Malfoy's son flapping his mouth off again and about to get it knocked off by Harry, he knew he had to do something. So what better way for Harry to get his way by making Malfoy his lab rat so to speak. The pale boy had finally got his gloves on, the pure blood Dunce.
'Alright fighters, on the count of three begin. One… Two…' Malfoy either didn't know how to count or was just being a dirty cheating Slytherin that he was and was trying to catch Harry off guard… No chance.
'So when do they think Malfoy will get out of the Hospital wing?' Ginny asked nonchalantly.
Her, Harry and Hermione were sitting down at the Gryffindor table for lunch. That was of course after they had copped a giant sized scream and a huge hug from the small little red headed girl, who then proclaimed wanted all the details on how Harry proposed. Harry had told her that they would tell her tonight with Ron and Crystal. The other said golden couple of Gryffindor were currently barricaded in on of the many broom closets of the Hogwarts castle. Besides, the news of Harry and Hermione's engagement was one of the fastest spread topics since Harry's first year when he became Seeker and it looked as though everyone in the great hall was trying to find out the details for themselves. To make matters slightly more embarrassing Dumbledore stood up and proclaimed a toast to the duo.
'May they live their lives with love, peace and happiness… To Harry and Hermione.'
Mostly all students and staff followed their headmaster by raising their goblets to the two blushing friends who left shortly thereafter.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur for Harry and Hermione and they were more than happy when they finally sat down opposite of the two Weasley's and Crystal next to the fire in Hermione's Head Girl common room.
They then spent the next two hours going over their weekend, Hermione taking the lead on most occasions. Her telling of their time down under earned Harry dreamy sighs and smiles from Ginny and Crystal during the more romantic parts. The little party only broke up when Harry declared he had to go to work. He had promised Lucy that he would find her parents killers. And Harry meant it. With a quick kiss to Hermione and a wave for the others, he called his staff and waved it over himself causing a change of attire. All in all, he was very black. His pants were a pair of loose fitting cords and his jumper was also black with a big yellow H on it. This caused Hermione to sniff through her sobs, reminded of another super hero she knew. And to finish off the look, Harry wore a fine Dragon hide cloak. With one last look and a 'Don't wait up' Harry was gone.
Harry walked confidently through the muggle neighbourhood. He couldn't fathom why a sick pure blood couple such as the McCullum's would taint themselves by living near people that they despised. He figured it must have had something to do with looking good. I mean how could you convict two people of being Death Eaters when the said people are having Sunday barbeques every other day with their muggle neighbour.
But our hero was not fooled, he knew the crimes that these people had committed. For the McCullum's who lived at number 37 on Watson drive, were the exact people who killed Lucy Simmons's parents at the start of September. Harry had come across this information during his brief stop at his small little holding cell at Azkaban. After a little coaxing and a small mind reading charm Lucius Malfoy gladly gave up all information on the murderers.
So this is where we find him at the present time, knocking gently at the McCullum's front door. Harry waited and heard soft foot falls of someone walking to the door. The door flew open, the shocked woman in front of him obviously thought that it was some muggle salesman and not Harry Potter looking for justice. Harry threw his hand out and pushed the woman (who Harry thought was very overly dressed for a quiet night at home) back with a controlled gust of wind. The woman screamed and clawed her way back up the wall. The scream alerted the rest of the household and Harry heard a lot more than one person running down the hall way towards him.
Aw you've got to be shittin me, I've interrupted a dinner party. Harry thought as he saw another woman wearing an elegant dress and two more men wearing fine silk robes enter from the hallway drawing their wands.
'Potter, I heard you were back from the grave. How dare you enter my house.' Reece McCullum yelled as he fired a bone breaking curse at Harry's face.
'Believe me I didn't come here to share high class fire whisky with you. I've come to arrest you and shove the lot of you in Azkaban.' Harry said as he straitened himself after ducking the powerful curse, sending back an ice pick that grazed the Reece's shoulder, ripping through the fine fabric and leaving a fine gash.
'Oh and you expect to handle all of us on your own?' The other wizard said with a cruel laugh.
'Why not?' Harry whilst twirling through the air to dodge two curses sent by the males of the house, so far the women were happy standing back watching. That or they were too scared to enter the fray.
'Simkana.' Harry shouted. A burst of yellow flames left his staff, his aim was true and the other wizard robes caught on fire. The fire slowly turned into a wall and surrounded the wizard. With one last flick of his hand Harry cast the diffindo cutting charm at the trapped man. The charm was one he learned in second year and very useful at times to see if a witch or wizard had the dark mark.
The mans left sleeve fell away and revealed the hideous mark. With that taken care of Harry sent another wall of flames at the two women who were caught mid curse and by the sounds of it, it was one of the unforgivables. But why Harry's attention was on the two women, the owner of the house and killer of the Simmons struck Harry between his shoulder blades with a powerful poison curse. The curse named 'Nagaree' was currently under scrutiny from the Wizangamot. They wanted the curse to be named an unforgivable. The reasons for this were for what the curse did.
First the curse would open you up wherever you were hit and slowly enter the open wound. Entering the wound would be all the evil magic that powered the curse. All the hate, anger and the pure evil intention from the caster would form from the casters wand and if hit would enter the victim's nerve and blood stream causing pain and the shutdown of the human body, causing one hell of a Death it was this same curse that killed Lucy's parents. Another reason the curse was being scrutinized was because that also like the unforgivable's it could not be shielded against. So even Harry's dragon hide cloak could do nothing to stop the curse.
Reece McCullum moved forward and smiled sweetly as Harry fell to his knees.
'Goodbye Potter.'
Harry's back was still to him, so he took aim and cast the killing curse.
Harry fell to his knees holding his staff tightly. The Nagaree curse was quickly moving through his body, he knew that it wouldn't be much longer till he passed out and died. His vision became clouded as the curse flowed through his veins. Faintly he heard a voice say his name, but he couldn't be sure. With his last thoughts he remembered his short but good time with Hermione and his friends. The last thing he knew was a bright green light filling the room as his heart swelled from his memories of better days.
Flyin Eagle