14 Wands

Seamus rolled up his sleeves and walked into the bistro. He kicked Blaise Zabini's chair out from underneath him and punched him square in the face before he could pick himself all the way up. He shot out of the grimy café and around the corner. Crabbe and Goyle rushed after him only to run into a large, leather clad young man with chocolate all over him. He sank them both with a single blow each. Crabbe recalled with the last of his consciousness that there were two kinds of fat kids: marshmallows and musclemen with a little padding. A professional bully like himself ought not to forget the difference.

Blaise stepped from behind his fallen comrades. He held the wand between his fists. "One move Sea--"

Seamus was deafened by a high pitched scream from the large boy. Zabini gurgled something incoherent as he spiraled into the pavement under a hail of expertly placed fists.

"He's got a wand you fool, run!" the boy shrieked in blind panic. Seamus plucked the wand from Blaise's slackened grip as he was lifted by the back of his shirt.

"I still want them burgers!" he bellowed, taking Seamus with him in a headlong rush down the street. They both had run out of breath by the time they got near the park. Gasping and wheezing noisily they collapsed into another burger shop. The unkempt girl from the park looked at them from across the counter. "Might I take your order?" she said smoothly.

Seamus straightened up. "Two of your biggest hamburger meals with bacon."

"They already come with bacon," she jeered through her square granny glasses. She looked as though she might be a part time player from the nearby Warehouse Theatre.

"No!" Seamus shouted almost brutally. "I want extra bacon on the bacon, see." He laid some crumpled banknotes on the counter. "Don't let my friend here leave until he's full," Seamus pointed at him pistol fashion. "Thanks a bunch," He barked as he left, tossing the candy filled backpack in Dudley's lap.

"Yanks," the untidy girl grumbled.

Harry turned up at Hogwarts just before noon on Sunday, hoping the headmistress hadn't seen him.

Slipping over to the Great Hall to find Ron and get something to eat, he spotted his friend at the Gryffindor table with a huge lunch. Hermione slipped quietly alongside Ron.

"The bludgers are gone and I still can't find Harry," Hermione told him anxiously. Ron's mouth hung open for a second. "Let's go find him then," He said firmly.

"No need, here I am," Harry said in a flat voice.

"Where have you been Harry? We've looked everywhere," said Hermione as she spun around on the bench.

"Not here, and I could do with some hot food," Harry glanced at Ron's heaping lunch plates.

"I've missed breakfast myself. Sit down, Harry." Hermione served herself generous portions and dug in with gusto. The three ate lunch without another word.

After the meal they went out by the lake.

"Spill it, Harry. What have you been up to?" Ron demanded.

"I went back to Godric's Hollow but I didn't find anything."

"Did they work?" Hermione eyed Harry coolly.

"Brilliantly. Nagini is gone."

"What are you two going on about?" Ron shouted.

"Harry took the three dragon-bludgers I made and used them to kill Nagini. Do you think she might have been a horcrux?"

"I don't know. It took her ages to die. Silver phantasms escaped from her afterwards. They made horrible screeching sounds. Then I heard crying. It made me feel so cold I thought the Dementors were after me. My scar hurt but Moody said it was because Voldemort was in a rage about losing Nagini."

"Moody? You went with Moody and not with us?" Ron roared.

"No. Moody's been watching me. Good thing too, Death Eaters were behind me. Thing is he could only account for two. Someone else got the third one.

I gave Mad-Eye the other two dragon-bludgers and he was impressed. Your potions-work has won you an admirer, Hermione." Harry kidded her.

"I'll start on more," she blushed.

Ron looked put out.

"He also said you weakened Nagini when you struck her with the serpent staff in Godric's Hollow," Harry added.

"He knows about that?" Ron put his arm around Hermione. "How many times do we have to tell you, we'd have gone."

"I know both of you would have. Oddly enough, Moody and Kingsley have both fought giant snakes before, they showed me how. It's best done alone; although you two shortened the odds for me."

Seamus took his time returning to Hogwarts. Stopping at Hogsmeade, He visited Zonko's and Honeydukes. Returning to the castle he went to visit Dean in hospital. Dean was half awake when Seamus came in, he looked at Dean and motioned for silence. Seamus turned to the next bed. He dropped a box of candy wands on Zabini's table. The wands broke but not Zabini's slumber.

"I've never seen anyone actually eat a candy wand from Zonko's," Seamus grinned at Zabini, "you'll have to let me know what happens, bullyboy."

"It's best to stick with Honeydukes," Dean said in a groggy voice. "No one's saying what really happened to him. Blaise said he was attacked by a troll when they brought him in."

Seamus laughed loudly, holding his still aching ribs.

"You should have seen it, Dean. Blaise pulled a wand on Harry's cousin and the big fat oaf panicked and knocked the stuffing out him. I've only seen him once before at King's Cross but Harry tells me he's always hungry and always willing to fight."

"You got Harry's Muggle cousin to beat up our three favorite Slytherins for only his supper?"

"Something like that, Dean. And I got the wand back. When do you get out of here?"

"One more day. You'd better be off, Madam Pomfrey usually comes around about now."

Seamus left Dean some sweets and went to see Hermione Granger.

He found her in a sunny alcove, she was sitting on the ledge, schoolbag cast aside, gazing out at the lake. She had a bright-eyed cuteness about her like when they were first years. Her hair was nearly as bushy but it looked like a river of silk when she moved.

"Hermione, you look lovely," he said without thinking.

She looked right at Seamus as if she expected him to continue. He did not. "Seamus, you've been spending a lot of time around me lately. Is there anything you need to say to me?" She seemed a bit coy.

Caught off guard, Seamus said nothing. Hermione canted her head slightly.

"I've become fond of you, Seamus. But I don't feel same the way."

Seamus was in a hell of a spot now. He couldn't deny what she said without humiliating her. If he said anything else she would have nothing to do with him. Seamus smiled uncomfortably. Hermione shifted on the ledge and reddened a little. The silence continued.

"I know, but sometimes I have to kid myself that you do. If I can't have a piece of your heart I'll settle for a bit of your brain."

Seamus cringed; he'd wanted to say something better than that.

Hermione's heart melted. Why couldn't Ron be sensitive like that once in a while? She got down from the ledge, put her hands behind her and smiled.

"Then let's continue on then, shall we."

"Fair enough, I've a wand I need you to see."