Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Potterverse, to bad so sad.
Harry rose early the next morning. He had received a note just after the sorting alerting him to his Runes test that morning. He ate alone in the Great Hall amid the stares and whispers of students. Then moved to the Ancient Runes classroom to meet with McGonagall and the Runes professor Adrian Foss.
Harry found the test quite easy after all of the hard work he'd put in that summer. The Professor marked the test while they waited and then accepted Harry into his independent Runes class saying Harry could sit the OWL test as soon as he wanted at Special Session or wait and sit it at the end of the year with the current 5th years.
McGonagall was very proud of Harry.
"You must have worked very hard this summer, Mr. Potter. With this score I will allow you to take the Ritual Magic course this term. Would you like to take the Runes test during Special Session this year?" Asked the Professor.
"I'm not sure I understand Professor what is Special Session?" Asked Harry.
"Why am I not surprised that you haven't heard of it Mr. Potter considering that there are curious gaps in your knowledge of the Wizarding world. This next week the OWL examiners will be here to do a special testing. Students who failed their OWLs or missed them for some reason will be allow to retake them in order to complete their studies. When a student fails they will sometime use the summer months for tutoring to better their score. You could retake the History and Divination exams if you like however retaken exams do not add to you overall OWL scores. Your Runes exam since it will be the first time you take it will add to your overall score, if you do well." Explained McGonagall.
Harry looked amazed for a moment. "I wish someone had told me this earlier. I would have studied for the History OWL. I didn't finish it the first time because that was when I had the vision of Siruis in the DoM. I think I'd like the take the Runes and History OWL at Special Session. Professor, are the NEWTs the same way? I mean the Weasley twins didn't get to take their NEWTs because of Umbridge can they still take them?"
Professor McGonagall looked startled for a moment and then nodded and said, "NEWT testing is done at the Ministry and can be taken up to two years after a student leaves school. In the Wizarding world some students may leave to take employment to support family before their schooling is finished or they may be home schooled so the rules are flexible. I will contact the twins and make sure they are aware of their options. Thank you Mr. Potter for mentioning it. I should have already thought about it."
"It should be something that the headmaster should take care of isn't it Professor?" Harry asked.
McGonagall gave a disapproving glare and a short nod, then gathered her papers.
"I'll send you a note with the testing times, Mr. Potter. You'd best get to lunch now."
Harry sat down next to Ron and across from Hermione at lunch; she wouldn't meet his eyes but did say hi. Ron wanted to know where Harry had been and they were both shocked to find that he'd been testing for the independent Runes class. Ron shook his head and proclaimed Harry 'mental' for wanting to take such a hard class.
After lunch Ron and Harry headed up to the common room for some chess and Hermione said she needed to do some research then disappeared into her dorm. Ron stared after her making some comment about going to the library.
Two hours later Harry reset his DA galleon for an hour after the evening meal. He wasn't sure how many DA members might still have the coins but decided to see. He was amused to see Neville jump and dig something out of his pocket look furtive and then glance around the common room till he saw Harry and grinned.
Harry noticed Dumbledore stared at him all through dinner that evening but managed to ignore it. He suspected that Dumbledore was aware that he had called a DA meeting.
Harry left the table followed by Ron and Neville and went directly to the seventh floor and the Room of Requirement. Most of the DA followed in two's or three's not sneaking exactly but trying to stay unobtrusive.
Harry noticed that one-person in particular had not come. Hermione was not there. It fact she had not been at supper either and that worried Harry. He was beginning to think that he might have lost her friendship. At the last minute she came in the door looking windblown just as Harry was about to begin and the smile she gave Harry almost made him forget what he planned to say.
Harry pulled himself together and addressed the DA.
"I'm glad you could all come tonight. I have to tell you straight off that this in not an officially sanctioned club. I didn't ask for approval from the headmaster or any of the teachers. Before last year study groups didn't have to have approval and all of Umbitches rules have been revoked." He looked around at the faces of his friends.
"Being the DA which we know meant Defense Association but was also know as Dumbledore's Army caused trouble so I'd like to change the name to the Defense Study Group or DSG if you need an acronym." Harry smiled and there were shrugs and smiles around the room.
"We have a new defense Professor this year," there was laughter around the room, "I think we should at least give him a chance to show us his stuff, but I also think that everyone learned a lot last year and that practicing together was of benefit. So the option is open. If the teacher is decent then we can use this time for assignments or to help each other or if there is something that the teacher is not covering we can look at learning that. Voldemort is still a threat and so are the dementors. Questions, comments?"
Justin Finch-Fletchly stood, "Harry I think I speak for a lot of us here, at least the Hufflepuff's, well we want to learn what ever you think we should learn. We trust you. I'm not so sure I can trust the new teacher. But I wanted to ask what happen at the Ministry this spring. We've all heard lots of stories but if you can will you tell us."
Harry looked at the others who had gone to the ministry for a moment and then nodded.
"I can tell you part at least. There are a few things that I can't discuss. During the History OWL I got a message that Voldemort had my god father and was torturing him in the Ministry building." He snorted. "Saying it that way makes it sound pretty stupid but I believed the message. No one had told me that the method I was using to get information could be falsified. The message was a lie. Voldemort wanted to lure me to the ministry to the hall of prophecy so that I could lift one of the prophecy's off the shelf and his death eater could then take it and as a bonus kill me. Some of my friends wouldn't let me go alone so we ended up fighting twelve Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries. I am amazed that we did as well as we did against the DE's. At the end Voldemort showed up and Fudge saw him and had to acknowledge that he was back." Said Harry.
"And the prophecy?" came a voice from the back.
"It was smashed and no one heard it." Replied Harry. "We may never know why he wanted it or what it was."
"Who was with you?"
"Since they haven't been identified in the Prophet yet I don't think I want to name them it could be dangerous."
Neville interrupted Harry.
"I don't care Harry. I went to the ministry and I'd do it again, I'll follow where you lead." Said the round-faced boy in a firm voice.
"Same for me" said Ron standing beside Harry. The three girls looked at each other and also rose to stand beside Harry.
Harry grinned at them and waved an arm, "ok now you know who was with me."
Terry Boot cleared his throat and ask, "Will you go over the fight and tell us what you learned? Like tips for fighting Death Eaters," his voice squeaked on the last word.
Harry nodded, "Yes we can do that, but not tonight. I think we'll close this session of the DSG here and meet next week after we've all had the chance to size up the defense teacher. That will give the six of us time to get our thought about the fight together and plan some sort of presentation."
Head's nodded and the hum of voices fill the room as the group began to disperse. Harry laid a hand on Neville's arm and whispered, "Will you stay after a bit?"
Neville nodded and began to help put away the poufs and cushions.
Soon it was just the six of them left and Harry put up a privacy ward around them in one corner of the room. Hermione blinked at the ease of the spell work that Harry had done.
"I told you that I studied this summer." Laughed Harry. Then he sobered and said, "I need to talk to all of you. There is something that you need to know. It may affect how you feel about me."
Harry looked at each person and smiled, "You are all the best friends a guy could have and you are important to me. I don't want to lose any of you and I'll understand if you don't think you can stay friends with me after you hear this."
Ron started to protest but Harry held up his hand.
"I don't think this will drive you away but it had to be said. I know what the prophecy says."
Neville nodded, Luna continued to stare at him, Ginny smirked an I told you so at Ron, Hermione sighed and Ron just made a get on with it gesture. Harry looked slightly confused at their reaction.
"Oh Harry it was obvious that Dumbledore told you something awful that night. It was more than Sirius dying and the rest of us getting hurt. We compared notes. You weren't portkeyed to the infirmary and I don't think you were even looked at by Madam Pomfrey, which you should have been even if you weren't hurt. But you looked so lost we knew there was something more. And really if anyone knew anything about that prophecy it would be Dumbledore though why he didn't tell you sooner it just well don't let me get started on that." She finished with a huff.
Harry just grinned at her and the rest laughed.
"You're right Dumbledore told me the prophecy. I don't want to tell you the whole thing because Voldemort still doesn't know it all but the part he knows is 'The one with the Power to Vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, Born as the seventh month dies to those who have thrice defied him.'"
Neville turned deathly pale and moaned, "Oh merlin no."
Harry said, "don't worry Nev it's defiantly me. There is a line 'He will mark him as his equal' so I think this," he pointed to his scar, "is the mark though I don't think I'm his equal yet."
"Does it tell how to kill him, Harry?" asked Ron.
"No only that I have to kill him or die trying." Said Harry.
"But you don't have to die!" said Ginny with a sob and then hid her face in her hands.
Hermione's hand came to rest on Harry's arm. It made him feel warm all over. He looked up into her eyes and saw hope and a firm belief that he could defeat Voldemort.
"We will stand with you and help you in any way Harry. You know we love you don't you?" she said in a low voice that sent shivers down his back.
Harry nodded and the rest of the group leaned in to pat him also. They sat in silence for several minutes before Ron loudly announced that he was hungry and needed to raid the kitchen. Laughing they left the room.
Sometime later in the kitchen Harry leaned over to Hermione and asked, "Where were you at dinner? I was worried; I thought maybe you weren't going to come to the DSG."
Hermione blushed and murmured, "We need to talk Harry but not here, alone after everyone goes to bed all right?"
The rest of the evening was long and torturous for Harry Potter. Finally everyone else had gone to bed though he'd practically had to force Ron to leave them alone.
"Hey" he said.
Hermione smiled, "You don't have anything to be worried about Harry. I gave the book a quick read through. I have to study it further before I decide what to do about that though. If I need practice I will let you know. I did mean what I said about doing what ever I can to help I'm just not sure right this minute that what's in that book will help you defeat Voldemort."
Harry was staring at his feet he didn't think Hermione understood how much the book had helped him already.
"I snuck out of the castle and went to Diagon Alley this afternoon. That's why I missed dinner."
Harry's head jerked up and he stared at her. Rule minding Hermione Granger left school with out permission. Harry wondered if that was why Dumbledore had been staring at him during dinner.
"Hermione I don't understand why you'd do that with out telling some one. It could have been dangerous. I, oh blood hell Hermione I sound like you." He said.
She laughed and took hold of his hands.
"Harry I had to find out, I had to know just how this mix up happened. So I use the tunnel to Honneydukes, the floo in the Three Broomsticks and went to Flourish and Blotts to find out. I spoke with Mr. Flourish the younger, apparently they had a new clerk who had a eye problem, from the description it sounds like he was dyslexic and there were a bunch of orders that he filled that were wrong in the week long period that he worked. They hadn't realized that the order for you was filled wrong because you didn't complain."
Harry just watched her face as she spoke, his hands tingling. All of his flirting during the summer hadn't prepared him for this kind of reaction to her touch it was all rather confusing.
"Are you listening Harry?"
"Yes, dingy clerk."
She laughed again, "So while I was there I got the right book and the advanced editions of the sex magick books so I can go over them as well. Mr. Flourish wasn't real happy that I wanted them of course because I'm still under age but he floo'd my parents and they ok'd the purchase. Now I'll have to explain why I was out of school and what I wanted with the books but I may arrange to go home over one weekend after my birthday. That one ritual, the marriage bed ward, I think I could set it for my parents and they could fuel the spell if I use the crystal version. Not," she wrinkled her nose, "that I really want to think about my parents having sex but if it makes them safer. Why are you grinning at me like that Harry?"
"Don't ever change, Hermione, I love you just the way you are."
They sat in silence then, holding hands until they both began to yawn with a hug they went up to their dorms.
A/N well i finished this so fast i impressed myself, but don't expect the next one this quick. :D
Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed.