Author Note: We see Pansy get her ego inflated then deflated, we see a bit more fan-service, a bit of Cho's issues and the suits go into battle. All this and more in this episode. Once again I must disclaim that I own none of this.
===xxx===xx
The others had come out of the water after a chilly water fight and some fun. Seamus and Katie had tested a theory involving the bubble head charm and confirmed that certain activities can be undertaken underwater. Once they hit shore they all cast drying charms on themselves then got dressed, or at least mostly dressed. Hermione and Luna remained topless as did Lavender.
"Hey where's Cho?" Harry asked looking around.
"She was sitting over here. She probably went back to the school." Susan suggested.
"Hermione?" Harry asked.
Hermione pulled a compact mirror out of her pocket. Flipping it open she tapped a rune and after a moment Cho's voice came from the device. "What?"
"Just checking to make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine. I couldn't get into the Room so am in the library doing some research."
"Oh okay. We're getting ready to eat if you want to come back down."
Cho remained silent for a few moments before saying, "Sure. I'll be there."
"Okay. See you soon."
Harry nodded, "Okay we'll go get some wood and start a fire. Luna you prepared the food?"
"Yes with Dobby's help." She beamed happily.
"Okay. You guys set it up. We'll be right back." Harry said as he and the other boys left.
"So what do we have Luna?" Hermione asked as Luna called for Dobby to bring the picnic basket.
"Well there is butterbeer, pumpkin juice and fizzies for beverages. Treacle tart, icoberry tortes, and marsh mallows for sweets. Crisps and smoked meats or sausages for cooking on the bonfire. Plus some vegetable sticks and jumja root with yamok sauce. Since Harry likes it."
"Yeah he also likes fast food cheeseburgers and chips." Hermione growled.
"Hey what's wrong with cheeseburgers?" Susan asked sitting on the edge of the shelter. Lavender was sitting between her legs on the bench below her resting her head against Susan's soft belly agreed, "Yeah I don't mind them either."
"Nothing wrong with them when they're made with real meat and has vegetables on them. Harry likes something called Macduff's. Its a muggle fast food place. I'm not entirely certain the word food though should be used to describe it." Hermione said with a distasteful expression.
"Oh. That sounds so, unpleasant." Lavender said.
"What sounds unpleasant?" Harry asked coming back in, "Ooh jumja root. Cool Luna." He said giving her a kiss on the lips quickly before grabbing the aforementioned food.
"Macduff's" Hermione flatly said. Harry just laughed and patted her bottom as he went back out to deal with the bonfire. Neville had reduced the first batch to ashes with a slightly overpowered confringo.
"Neville's still getting used to his new wand?" Katie asked watching them rebuild the bonfire in the ring with more wood.
"Yeah. He spent so long with his father's wand that he still has a tendency to channel too much power." Lavender sighed, "Oh well he'll get it worked out and it might come in handy sometime."
Luna pulled one last item out of the basket. The boom box Hermione had brought to the school.
"Did you get that to work?" Hermione asked.
"Yes while you were messing with that phone device I managed to figure out how to make this work. It now gets the Wizarding Wireless as well as plays the cassettes you brought." Luna explained putting a cassette in and hitting play. Causing a song to come on about doves crying.
"Awesome. My dance mix tape. I love you Luna." She said giving the blonde a big hug and kiss on the lips.
Luna sighed happily once her lips were released, "I love you too." Her voice carried a dazed tone.
With the bonfire going and the music playing the party had begun to get going. Lavender dancing with Susan as Neville and Harry worked on the food. Lavender's topless form swaying jiggling almost hypnotically as Seamus watched with a grin until Katie smacked him and he danced with her.
Cho and Daphne approached the party only for Dobby to call out for them to stop. The music cut out and a few moments later Harry and Hermione came through the arch wands at the ready.
Daphne sighed as she took in Hermione's topless form. "Well at least you were not so reckless as to remain unguarded."
"Of course not. Dobby is quite excellent at his duties." Harry said glancing up at the elf who was standing on top of the stone arch glaring down at Daphne menacingly.
Daphne sighed, "Yes I'm sure."
"Well unless there's some reason why you can't join us, come in and have some food. You can tell all of us at one time."
Raising her eyebrow she simply walked past them. Hermione shrugged at Harry as he shook his head and followed her.
Seating herself stiffly at the shelter she waited for everyone to gather around her.
"So what did you come to tell us?"
"Three things. First off, as I said Malfoy has been given a mission to kill the headmaster. While he has not spoken of it openly his minions have not been as reticent. Unfortunately while they are quite happy to hint and tease at their mission the details are something apparently only Malfoy knows."
"Okay. That's disturbing. If he has a secret mission I wonder why he was so willing to play the fool Monday." Harry pondered.
"Because he underestimated Granger. He didn't realize she had been studying the social etiquette of pure-bloods. He played the fool as he had to or it would have become much more serious. Refusing to do so meant he reneged on an honor challenge he had initiated. Which would have cost him dearly." Daphne explained.
"Right. So he won't make that mistake again will he?"
"No he won't Granger. He will be more careful and observant. He will also no doubt be watching for his opportunity to take offense at your actions or comments against him and challenge you to a duel."
"Well that should be interesting. Given our training." Neville grinned.
"Yes. However remember he has been receiving training as well." Daphne pointed out.
"True. So we'll have to watch out and be polite around him, like he'll be polite around us." Hermione nodded.
Susan chuckled, "Hey at least we won't have to listen to him smart mouthing us. A small positive."
Neville shook his head, "No he'll just do it in a socially approved and proper way."
Lavender sighed, "You know there are times when I really hate pure blood society."
Daphne just gave a barely sympathetic nod, "The next thing I needed to tell you was that Parkinson is livid. She finds any body that is not as slender as hers to be disgusting and horrible. For her to have had her bosom enlarged like that was a gross affront and assault on her body in her mind."
Lavender poked Hermione's right boob , "Its not like she got a pair like Susan's or something. These aren't that bad."
"Hey now. There's nothing wrong with Susan's." Neville rose to her defense. "Or yours either Hermione. Or uh. I think I'll just shut up." Neville quietly said as the girls all looked at him in amusement.
"No but I guess on Pansy they would seem a lot larger. That would be like giving Luna the same size as mine." Hermione said while Luna looked down in a curious consideration.
Daphne Rubbed her left temple while calming herself, "Regardless of what size you gave her the point is she took it as a grave insult and will be seeking retribution in kind. At least she is not stupid enough to try and kill you, yet. However she will try to give you at least as egregious insult as you gave her. Publicly so that you will be shamed and ridiculed like she felt she was."
"But she wasn't that bad. It actually kinda improved her." Harry said with a confused look.
Daphne raised her eyebrow as she shook her head, "No Potter. You don't understand. She finds fat people horrendous. She is always sniping at Bulstrode. Making comments about her size, her eating habits, calling her things that if she were not a fellow Slytherin would have been immediate challenges to duels."
"So why does Millicent put up with that?" Neville frowned.
"First name basis Longbottom?" Daphne asked coyly.
"No. But still. Why does she put up with it?" He demanded.
"I have no idea. But things are heading for a boil. Bulstrode has changed this year. I'm not entirely certain why. Her sister being sorted into Hufflepuff might have something to do with it." Daphne said while looking at Susan inquiringly.
Susan considered things, "Margaret is a sweet little girl. She's got some issues but she's nice."
"Has she told you anything of her home life?"
"Not much. She seems to have a bit of a fear of her father and almost worships Millicent." Susan explained.
Daphne pursed her lips. "I have heard a few things about their father. He is. He is not a nice man."
"Is he a Death Eater?" Harry asked.
"Not that I am aware of. He is a ally of them. He has a very fluid definition of the blood supremacy ideology. Both of his wives have been muggle-borns, however both bore him one child then died a year later. Allegedly in an accident with his first wife and Dragon-Pox with his second wife." Daphne said.
"Dragon-pox? But there's been a cure for that for 500 years. Its really only the elderly and those with a weakened magical core that are threatened by it and even they have a pretty good chance with treatment." Lavender exclaimed.
"Yes I am aware. Your mother is a healer Miss Brown. You have not been incorrect. A woman who was 36 years old dying of Dragon-Pox is not unheard of but is rather suspicious. Especially when she is the second wife to die under suspicious circumstances. As such no pure-blood family would speak with him about a third wife. Not even the Selwyns." Daphne stated.
"Okay so the Bulstrode home life is not a happy place. SO what." Harry shrugged.
Luna smiled, "Actually it might prove useful. You say Millicent and Pansy are close to having a complete conflict?"
Daphne nodded.
"And that Pansy keeps pushing the derogatory comments concerning her weight while planning on doing something embarrassing and shameful to Hermione?" Luna discussed with Hermione for a moment once Daphne nodded again. "And you are certain it would not be something lethal?"
Daphne looked uncertain for a brief moment, "As I have no power over Parkinson I cannot definitely say it would not be lethal but her skill level and attitude does indicate it would most likely not be."
Luna smiled, "Could you suggest to her a certain spell timed for the lunch on Monday in the great hall?"
"Perhaps? What spell?"
"Auget Pinguis Maxima." Luna said with a smile.
Hermione frowned for a moment then started chuckling.
Daphne raised both eyebrows in surprise. "That spells would result in her being fully nude and weighing 800 pounds in full view of the entire student body."
"Yes. And it would also result in Pansy receiving punishment, no doubt she would want to gloat and make comments which would result in Millicent's anger causing a break in their group. Possibly giving us a if not ally, someone who would be willing to work together to take Draco and his crew out."
Lavender snorted, "And maybe a break in Pansy's arm or leg or who knows what."
Daphne gave Luna a brief smile, "That is quite devious. You should have been sorted into Slytherin."
"Thank you however I do not look well in green." She smiled back.
"You'd be comfortable doing that?"
Hermione shrugged, "Yeah it would just mean an overnight stay in the hospital wing. And uh warning according to mom the women in our family have a tendency to become quite reubenesque when we gain weight."
Lavender smacked Neville's arm, "Down boy, don't look so eager."
Neville grinned, "Sorry."
"Anyhow. If you're sure you can manipulate things so it turns out like that and you're comfortable with it Hermione then I guess we'll go with that."
"As long as its that exact spell."
Daphne sighed, "Parkinson is egotistical and shallow enough that I am certain she would think making you 800 pounds would be quite shameful. I will begin working on her when we are finished."
"Alright then and the third thing." Harry said with a nod.
"The third thing is that Robert Abbott has been given one week to divorce his wife and disown his daughter or the Death Eaters will remove her from the picture, permanently."
The ADA all gasped or reacted badly at that. Susan exclaimed, "No. They're really nice people."
"Yes however he is a member of the sacred 28. She is a muggle-born. They feel that she has diminished the status of his house and have given him until Friday night at midnight to remove her. They claim to be able to know if he goes to the Ministry about this or tries to seek help. This looks like something within the auspices of your group." Daphne declared.
Harry nodded, "Yeah. So they'll go to him on Friday and kill her if he doesn't divorce her."
"Yes. They will. They are doing this to several other families who have disgraced the Sacred 28 bloodlines."
Ernie looked like he was thinking for a moment then stated, "There are not very many who have that are gentry or higher in the social standings."
"Social standing is irrelevant. They are targeting all muggle-borns they can find. It is inefficient as they do not have full access to Ministry files or Hogwarts files however they are doing a rather good job of find out who is and is not a pure-blood."
Ernie looked disgusted. "The social register does not require one to register their blood status that is only left up to the families."
"Yes unfortunately too many are willing to sell out their neighbor for what they consider relative safety or peace." Daphne admitted.
"Okay. Well we'll have to do what we can. We need to make some plans and consider our options."
"I understand. I do not want to know about any of that for plausible deniability purposes." Daphne said standing up and smoothing her skirt.
"Okay. Well thank you for this. We'll take it from here." Harry said smiling.
Once Daphne was gone the group began to plan.
"Okay Monday, everyone in their suits. I'll not be and we'll let her think we are going to just stroll in with no protections. But we're going to set a trap for her. When she casts we'll throw up a reflection charm to bounce the spell back at her. She hated having some D cups, wait until she gets to be 800 pounds. She'll have a complete melt down."
"Ouch Hermione. You know you can be rather cruel sometimes." Katie said with a shiver.
"I am only cruel but to be kind." Hermione said with a shrug.
"Okay so she tries to attack you, we bounce the spell back on herself. Won't that just make her madder?" Lavender pointed out curiously.
"Maybe but she's going to have to learn her lesson and if we have to keep smacking her nose to teach it to her we will." Hermione declared
"I agree with Hermione. Pansy is an annoying distraction though. We need to remember Draco and his mission are the big threat here, plus the even bigger one of the death eaters." Harry pointed out causing everyone to nod in agreement.
"As for Hannah's family. Susan you're in Hufflepuff with her. Talk to her and see what she knows. I wouldn't tell her so she doesn't get worried." Hermione decided.
Susan nodded, "Yeah she is a bit high strung. I know where they live though. They run the White Stag Pub in Puddletown Dorset."
"Okay. We'll get setup so we can ambush the Death Eaters on the Friday. Susan you've been there?"
"Yeah Hermione. Several times. Its in a muggle town though. On the edge of it by the barrows, they live in a apartment over the pub." Susan explained.
"Okay we'll spend the next several evenings in the Room. You setup a simulation of the pub and we'll practice so we can be ready."
"If you can get in. I was going to go there and practice earlier but I couldn't get in." Cho said.
"The only way you can't get in is if someone else is already using it." Luna said intrigued by Cho's statement.
"I wonder who was using it. I'm pretty sure its not very common knowledge that it exists." Hermione pondered.
"Well maybe we should go find out."
"Alright. Second team. Go get suited up and meet us there. We'll go find out if we can get in and if we can't then we'll wait for you to show and wait for whomever is in there to come out." Hermione said starting to get dressed.
===xxx===xx
Harry had Dobby retrieve the marauder's map on the way to the corridor. Setting up in an empty classroom just down from the Room they searched for and found Draco and his crew. Millicent and Margaret were sitting in a courtyard on the east side of the castle. Draco and his minions were in the library while Pansy was in the Slytherin common room.
"Well everyone is accounted for. Maybe we can get in there now." Harry said with a frown folding the map up.
"Which still gives us the problem of who was in there in the first place." Hermione frowned.
Activating the room they managed to enter and so when the other team showed up went through some training.
===xxx===xx
Sunday they stayed in for most of the day and watched the Slytherin group on the map as it was raining. They did some more training in the room of requirement. Susan having made a reasonably accurate simulation of the Abbott's pub.
Monday came and everyone in the ADA except Hermione was in their suits ready to go on the defense while trying to look like they were not. Daphne had confirmed that Pansy had been talked into using the weight gain spell as she found it gleefully appropriate.
"So you ready Hermione? Its not too late to back out. If the spell gets through and hits you."
Hermione shrugged, "I have no body image issues anymore. And If she thinks she's going to get the last laugh with this then she's sadly deluding herself."
"Of course. But I just don't want her to hurt you."
"Well just be ready but remember don't look like you're ready. Keep it casual." Hermione said flipping her hair. "We're just dumb and complacent Gryffindors."
"Right dear." Harry agreed. "Although I still don't understand why you're letting her hit you with this
When the group neared the great hall they spread out and went on alert. They tried to remain casual about it but Harry's nerves were wound tightly. He saw Pansy standing off to the side and start following himself and Hermione. Once they were actually in the great hall and around everyone he heard Pansy shout "Auget Pinguis Maxima!"
Harry and Hermione both spun and cast reflecting charms, as did Luna and Neville so the spell bounced straight back at Pansy. She stared incredulously at the burst of bright pink energy that had bounced back striking her in the chest.
She began to inflate. Her body billowing up like rising bread dough. Breasts climbing through the letters of the alphabet. Thighs swelling like ham hocks. She burst through her clothes as she became a round bellied balloon. Gravity soon asserted itself as her parts began to sag and droop.
The room fell completely silent briefly before Pansy's horrified shrieks filled the air.
"No. Oh Merlin NO! I'm not supposed to be the fat ugly cow. You are. You stinking filthy mud-blood bitch! You were supposed to be the bloated, ugly blob. I can't get fat NO! I'm too beautiful to be this disgusting and slovenly. I'm too pretty for this." She had managed to grip her wand still with her thick sausage fingers and started flinging spells at Hermione and the ADA.
"I'll get you. I'll get you for this. You filthy mud-blood. You disgusting pig." Pansy was screaming while tears ran down her face.
Students dove under the tables, some of the older ones began to use shield spells and deflection spells to throw the spells into the ceiling where a fireworks display began to occur. The ADA worked to encircle her, stunning her into submission within seconds.
She lay on the floor slumped in a pile, her now huge body keeping her head off the floor. Lavender took a napkin and turned it into a blanket to cover her with. Checking to make sure she had no trouble breathing or other heart issues.
"What was all of that?" Professor McGonnegal demanded as she strode up.
"I think that was Pansy trying for retribution for her losing the challenge in class the other day." Hermione explained.
Minerva pursed her lips before levitating the unconscious girl out of the hall. She said nothing to anyone although her glare spoke volumes.
"Well that went well." Lavender said.
"I don't understand why she reacted like that." Neville shook his head, "The way she was screaming you'd think she was turned into a hag."
"She has a very shallow self-image. In her mind she may have equated it as such." Luna said.
===xxx===xx
The next morning on the way to breakfast Daphne slipped a note to Susan as she walked past her. Susan watched her go with a confused look but otherwise continued to talk to Hannah and Margaret. Neither Millicent nor Pansy showed up at breakfast due to both of them being in the hospital wing.
Apparently Pansy had been reduced back to her original size and returned to Slytherin late last night. She was angry and went on a rant about how horrible and disgusting her weight had been, how she would rather die than ever be that big among a few other unpleasant things that wound up setting Millicent off. Millicent gave Pansy a piece of her mind which made Pansy get even more shrill and insulting. Millicent resolved the problem without magic as she tackled Pansy and broke several ribs as well as Pansy's jaw. Draco had sent several spells at Millicent who got injured as well. Fortunately Madam Pomfrey was able to get both of them treated.
What was even more interesting according to the letter from Daphne was that Crabbe had stood by and done nothing to stop Millicent. Draco was angry and berated Crabbe to no end in front of the entire Slytherin house in retaliation. This seemed to indicate there was a bit of contention within the house.
"Good we really need to be pushing up the pressure on them. If we can get them to split up and fragment we might be able to hinder Draco at the very least." Harry happily observed.
"Maybe it will. House loyalties are not as strong in the Snake pit as it is elsewhere." Susan stated, "I know Margaret has begun to settle in with us. She's been talking to Millicent so who knows. Maybe we can get Millie to defect."
Neville grinned, "That could be cool."
"You just want another one for your harem, who're you kidding." Lavender laughed.
Neville shrugged, "In the interests of peaceful cooperation and inter-house fraternity of course."
Lavender and Susan rolled their eyes but said nothing else.
Hermione cleared her throat, "Well if we need someone to seduce Millicent we'll call you Neville otherwise we need to focus on Friday. Stopping the Abbott's getting hurt."
"Right. We've got training to do and more practice runs. I think we should definitely work with three teams outside one inside, to reduce friendly fire. Too bad we don't have any Poly-juice. Someone could take the Abbott's place and they would not have to even be there." Terry boot suggested.
Hermione frowned in thought, "Yes well we can just forget about that for now, although it is a good idea for later."
===xxx===xx
Thursday afternoon Harry and Hermione had Dobby slip them out of Hogwarts so they could go to Diagon Alley to retrieve their special knives from Horthon.
Arriving in the Alley Harry and Hermione walked like they belonged there. People ignoring them completely. Keeping their heads down. Some shops had burned into their walls the Death Eater's symbol, The Dark Mark. Underneath it said Mudblood. Those shops were either closed and boarded up or open but with very few customers if any.
Harry shook his head though when they came to the Weasley shop. They had a giant glowing lurid green Dark Mark hovering over their door only it was not a snake the skull kept swallowing.
"IS that what I think it is?" Harry asked trying not to laugh.
Taking a deep breath to compose herself Hermione shook her head, "Well they do know how to get attention don't they."
"I didn't know they were out of the hospital." Harry sighed.
"Well let's go see what's going on."
Entering the shop they looked around the place. The offerings remained essentially the same. Toot-see rolls that let you fart musical tunes, fake hands that would really grip, joy buzzers that stunned people among other less practical things.
The display of love potions made Hermione a bit unhappy. Wondering if any of them had gotten into Hogwarts. She turned attention to where Harry was gesturing when he elbowed her.
Both twins were working with customers. The shop seemed to have a few people in it compared to the rest of the alley they had passed so far.
The twins themselves were dressed in identical lime green waist coats under a purple with orange pinstripe suit. Their shirt was an immaculate white with a bright red bow tie. Purple bowler hats adorned their heads. Each hat had the numeral 1 or 2 on it.
The twins soon came over grinning, "Ah our most gracious benefactor come to check on how things are going?"
"As well as the brains of the outfit. Although with those sweater puppies I'd also say she's the beauty too."
"Absolutely dear brother. I wonder if those are her own or a gag playing on us?"
Hermione sighed, "No they are mine and we were in the Alley on other business and saw you were open. How are you doing?"
"We are doing quite fine, apparently, is it not so?" the one twin said.
"Still alive and free unlike our dear brother whose anger still confines him to the hospital, same as our poor befuddled sister. Although if you wanted a pet Harry we could get her for you real cheap."
Harry looked at the twin who had said that in horror.
"Just joshing mate We know you like them a bit feistier."
"As well as bustier so it seems." The other said poking Hermione on the breast with his wand.
"HEY!" She said as she felt a jolt go through her breasts causing her nips to stiffen. She cast a finite on herself just to make sure and they relaxed back down making her step further away from them.
"Well we just wanted to check on you guys and see how you were doing. Good to see you out of the hospital now." Harry said trying to distract them from Hermione.
"Of course. We are back in the fight ready and able to go. Oh that reminds me we had been working on a few things for you. Let me get them." Twin #2 said walking off.
"Sorry about that with the nips there Hermione. Just a bit of harmless fun you know." Twin #1 said.
"Yeah ask next time. You'd think after what happened to your sister you'd be a lot more supportive of consent." Hermione angrily retorted.
"Sister? We have a sister?"
"Yeah funny little chap with the small bubbies. Lives on the first floor."
"Oh yeah the long haired one."
"Right dear brother."
Harry cleared his throat. "Look guys. Try and focus."
They both turned and shoved a box into Harry's hands. "Right. Here are some potions and toys that you and your lot might find entertaining. We will be selling some of them in the shop. So let us know how they work."
Hermione raised her eyebrow, "What about the love potions?"
"Oh you want one? They're only 8 galleons a dose."
"Eight galleons?" Hermione repeated.
"Yep gar-un-teed to give you at least a weekend of the person's full attention. After that you're on your own as they will be immune to the potion, forever. One and done."
"You really think after what happened to Ginny that its a good idea to sell those things?" Harry frowned at them.
"Why not? We promised to give you their attention not their heart."
"Or any other part of their body, you've got to do that yourself. This just gets them to focus on paying attention to you."
"Plus its not illegal."
Hermione looked like she was contemplating putting the twins back into Saint Mungo's so Harry shoved the box into her hands to save their lives, "Uh right. Good point. Well we have places to go so take care okay." Harry said shaking their hands then dragging Hermione out.
"Are you sure its a good idea for them to be walking free?" she hissed angrily.
Harry shrugged, "I guess. I'm not sure whats in the box but we might as well check it out when we get back to school."
She took and put it into her expanded bag as they went to the Goblin. Fortunately he was as straight forward in his dealing as the Weasley were not. They paid for the last half of the deal after they checked the blades and their sheathes. Finding them to the quality he had promised they parted ways happily.
Harry glanced down the Knockturn Alley and paused, "Hermione you wanted to get polyjuice didn't you?"
She looked where he was looking and shook her head, "No not today. We'd stand out way too much Harry. We need to come back when we'd be a lot more inconspicuous, and better protected."
"Oh right. Good idea."
===xxx===xx
Arriving back at school they caught up with the other members to find out what they had missed that afternoon.
That evening they went to the Room and tried to open it. Only the wall remained blank.
"We told Cho we'd meet her here at eight." Hermione said, "I wonder if she already activated the room."
"Possible. Although I don't know how we'd get in. I thought you said it could only have one instance active at a time and unless you knew what it was the door wouldn't appear." Katie said.
Luna frowned, "True. Although if Cho knew we were going to be here she should have activated it for our training purposes."
Harry pulled the map out of his pocket and looked for Cho, he did not find her . Draco and his minions were on the map but not Cho. "Cho's not on the map so she must be the one in the room."
"Should we try to activate it and see what she's doing or should we just wait."
"Well we need to do homework tonight too, and its already almost half past eight. Luna do you think you know how to get the room to open?"
Luna tilted her head in thought for a moment then paced three times. A pink door, similar to madam Puddifoot's tea shop appeared in the wall.
"How'd you managed that?" Seamus asked.
"I asked the room to provide me with the room Cho was in. Figuring that if I needed to speak with Cho the room would appear. Similar to How Draco wound up in our training room last year after Marietta told Umbridge about it."
"Right okay. Uh. Should we interrupt her, that doesn't look like a training door." Harry pointed out.
"Harry I doubt the appearance of the door implies what's on the other side."
Luna was studying the door, "Actually I think Harry may be correct. The door when we perform our training looks more like the front doors of the school while the doors when we are looking for a place to store things looks more like a large closet door. This distinctly looks like the doors to Madam Puddifoot's shop."
"Fine. Susan you and her are friends, You go in and let her know we're waiting to start training."
"I suppose we're friends. We're about as close as anyone is to her now." Susan explained.
"Well still, if you are interrupting something she'll be less angry if its you that did it than one of us." Harry suggested.
Susan sighed, "Alright. I hope you're correct."
===xxx===xx
Susan entered the room which looked like she had stepped outside. When the door shut it was as if she was on a small country road with farm houses on either side. Cows stood in a field chewing their cud calmly. Not sure what else to do Susan started walking down the road. Coming to a small lane with a post box beside it that said Diggory she paused.
Unsure of what else to do she turned and started walking up the lane, soon coming to a small cottage. Feeling ever more like an interloper she started to turn when a small dark haired girl came riding up the lane with a taller older boy behind her. The two of them came to a stop before dismounting and after tying the pony to a post came over to Susan.
"Hullo, who are you? The boy called out."
"I'm Susan. I'm looking for Cho."
"You're a friend of mum's?" The girl asked, "I thought you were all away."
"Well I got back and wanted to see your mum." Susan said with a growing sense of dread. "Can you tell me how old you are?"
"I'm six." The girl proudly said with her pigtails swaying as she nodded.
"Oh good."
"Mum and Dad are probably upstairs but you're welcome to wait in the sitting room. I have to go take care of Toby." The boy said heading for the pony.
"Can I help Andy?"
"Yeah sure I'll let you get his hay down."
Turning Susan went into the cottage. The sitting room was filled with pictures of Cho and Cedric. Them graduating school, their wedding day. Cho holding a small baby.
Susan was about to leave when she heard Cho gasp from the sitting room door, "Susan!"
"Yeah. Hey. Sorry about this. Its probably past half eight."
Cho looked at the clock and said something Susan didn't understand. She turned to Susan, "look I can explain. I meant to come and activate the room for training last week. Only I was missing Ced so badly that when I came inside he was standing there. He was back. Don't you see this room can bring people back from the dead."
"No Cho. It can't. Nothing can bring them back. Didn't you hear Luna with the stone. Once a person is dead they're dead. Unless they become a ghost and Cedric didn't."
"No he's here and he's real." Cho cried. "I can prove it. Cedric?" She called out.
"Actually I'm not quite either of those things." Cedric said from the doorway.
Susan almost fainted when she looked into the tall healthy man's eyes. He smiled at her with a slight smirk. "Hello Susan. You might want to bring everyone else in for this."
===xxx===xx
Luna was examining Cedric very closely while Cho sat crying in the corner of the room wrapped in Susan's arms. Hermione looked at the figure of the boy they knew and frowned.
"What do you mean you're complicated?"
"I am a simulacrum of the person you knew as Cedric. A construct made by the Room because Cho wanted to see him again."
"So you're not really the spirit of Cedric?"
The figure laughed, "Co I'm not even a real spirit. Think of me as a hologram from that show your father likes to watch Hermione. An artificially created being with the thoughts and memories you have of Cedric. As Cho and he dated and were so very close I am a close simulacrum. I have a lot of his memories but if you asked me something that Cho didn't know about him I wouldn't know it."
"So if we wanted you to look like someone else all we would have to do is desire it enough?"
"Or ask me. Cho managed to reawaken that aspect of the Room. It has lain dormant for several hundred years, so I went to sleep."
"Why did it go dormant?"
"There was some sort of trouble with something called the black death and the student body of the school dropped to almost nothing. It took a good century for the magical population to recover enough to need the school again. In that time a great many things about this place had been forgotten." the avatar said.
Harry grinned, "So you can literally simulate ANYTHING?"
The Avatar rippled and shifted until an exact duplicate of Harry stood there, in his voice it said, "Yes I can simulate anything. You can use this room for recreation, training, exploration of your memories, or even testing theories. There is even an instance of this room that is used as a giant storeroom. I'm sure if you dig deep enough you might find the dirty knickers of a student from when the school was founded."
"Knickers aren't that old bud." Seamus said.
Hermione sighed, "Trust Seamus to know that bit of history. And could you please come back to your own image please, and what do we call you?"
As the image rippled and shifted until a smiling gray haired man with deep blue eyes stood in front of her in a red and blue robe that was trimmed in yellow he said, "You may call me Avatar. The founders simply called me Room. I suppose they did not feel I needed a name."
"Do you know about firearms?" Hermione asked.
He reached out and touched her forehead. After a moment he nodded, "Ah yes. I see the muggles have become quite a bit more advanced. Quite a nasty piece of work those are."
"Okay. I may have some tests I'll want to run. How realistic is realistic?"
"Well in training mode I can run from absolutely harmless to able to kill you. However it would require a head of house, or the headmaster to authorize that level of difficulty. I could not get a female pregnant of course as that violates the laws of magic, nor can I provide actual food without going to the kitchens. But otherwise if you fall in a stream here you will get wet. You have a snowball fight you will get cold."
"So rather real then."
"Yes but my prime directive, if you will, is not to harm students. I knew that by continuing to feed Miss Chang's obsession with her departed lover it would harm her eventually. So I let you in."
"Well thank you for that." Harry said.
Hermione walked over to Cho, "Cho dear. Thank you for waking the room up like this. But if you were hurting you could have talked to one of us."
Cho looked up, "But I didn't do it for the group I did it for me. For me to be with Cedric once more when I found out about it. And I didn't think any of you liked me after what Marietta did, after I stood up for her."
"Some of us did have some trust issues to get over but we understand sticking up for your friends." Susan stroked her hair as she said that, "We'd all do the same thing and not a single one of us can blame you for that Cho hun. We're your friends and we'll help you get through this."
Cho stood up and looked around at the faces of the ones in the room. She swallowed as she nodded, "I'm sorry I didn't come to you."
"Its okay."
"Well do you want to train or do you want to take tonight and relax?"
Cho took a deep breath, "Let's test how real we can make the training." She wiped her eyes and took out her wand.
Hermione hugged her briefly, "Alright. That's the way."
===xxx===xx
They trained that evening then went and got some heavy sleep. Friday classes went interminably slow. Although when Neville flirted with Millicent in front of the other Slytherins that livened things up a bit. Pansy made a few rude comments about Neville wanting to have sex with farm animals which led to Crabbe accidentally stepping on the back of Pansy's robes causing her to trip and fall backwards into Goyle causing him to lose his balance and fall into Nott. Leaving Millicent with a confused yet cautiously happy expression.
By the time Dinner came Harry was feeling the same anxious terror he felt before, when they were going to the Ministry. He tried to keep his nerves calm and his mind off of their plans. Luna and the other girls doing their best to distract him as much and as often as possible so That Voldemort would not be able to enter his mind.
After Dinner they had the elves go check out around the pub. They reported that there were two wizards watching the pub so Harry had the elves take the second teams to the area outside the pub and let the second team sneak up on them. Neville and his team were to remain outside unless they called for them.
Once they had reported the teams were in place Harry had the elves bring the first team into the basement of the Pub. Hiding there until the pub closed they snuck out when Dobby reported that everyone but the Abbotts had left the pub.
Harry carefully climbed out of the basement under his invisibility cloak and observed the Abbotts. They were standing in the common room of the pub apparently cleaning up and having an argument of some kind.
"No I will not leave you Robert. I don't care what you say. I married you for better or worse until death do us part."
"But in this climate that could happen you know."
Harry clicked the mike on his headset, "Hermione they're fighting. He's trying to get her to leave."
"Okay. I'll be up in a second."
Hermione came upstairs a moment later and with Harry behind her under the cloak still announced her presence. Robert Abbott immediately blanched as he stared at her.
"Who are you?" Andrea asked though with her wand out.
"I'm Hermione Granger I'm a friend of your daughter's. We're here to protect you." She said.
"Protect us? You're barely a girl. How are you going to protect us. I have to get Andrea to see reason and leave." Robert shook his head in disbelief.
"There are two wizards watching the pub, I would bet good gold that the floo is tracked. If she leaves she's dead." Hermione declared.
"If she doesn't leave she'll die. They already told me." Robert declared looking at his wife.
"Look. I'm not here alone. Let me see something." Hermione cast a spell on the both of the adults.
"They placed a tracker charm on the both of you. Its woven in with a charm to alert them if the tracker is removed. Very interesting." Hermione said. She then described it over the open mike to the group.
Susan said, "That sounds like something the DMLE puts on suspects they want to keep track of or when someone is on probation or house arrest."
"Great is there anyone else who might have access to those spells?" Harry asked.
"Doubtful. They are a trade secret of the DMLE. At least people aren't supposed to know how to unchain the spells from the person's magical aura." Susan replied.
Hermione shook her head, "OK. No one on the team can get the spells off of you tonight and we shouldn't we've got to make them think you're going to stay here. We've got teams outside and inside here. You'll be protected. Trust me please."
Andrea went to her husband and took his hands, "Look they're willing to help protect us. We should let them. What other choice do we have this late?"
"They said they'd know if I went to the aurors. It was like something out of the old days. I had to listen to them. I knew about the tracking spells but they said that was just to make sure you'd left me."
"They probably planned to kill her no matter what." Luna said over the comms.
"Not helping Luna." Harry hissed back.
Andrea turned to Hermione. "So what do you want us to do?"
"Go about your normal routine then go to bed. When they show up we'll have some friends remove you from here to someplace safe. A friend will meet you there and take you to another safe place to hide you."
The Abbotts nodded and finished cleaning the pub. Their tasks done they climbed the stairs to their apartment and went to bed.
"Alright places everyone. Stay sharp we've got about a half hour until show time." Hermione called out.
===xxx===xx
At midnight on the bell there was the crack of multiple apparates outside. Everyone's nerves immediately went on full alert except Harry who felt more calm and relaxed now that the battle was engaged.
"Three just popped in, full regalia. Not even bothering to try and hide it." Ernie called out from the front of the pub. "Right in the middle of the street."
"Great, wait for it."
Hermione felt the anti-apparate spells settle over the house, but the elves would be able to go through that. She also saw the floo suddenly flare in a bright blue then turn red burst of flames.
"They locked the floo, anti-apparates are up." Hermione called out.
"Right the other two are maintaining those." Terry called out.
The front door blew itself off the hinges and across the room in a shower of red sparks. The team were in their places and ready when a tall slender Death Eater came into the pub he was followed by another tall and muscular one. The third one moved slowly and carefully among the tables to the left of the other one. Hermione thought that one was a female for some reason.
The leader waved his wand and all of the tables and chairs went flying to the sides of the room. "Hey Abbott! Come down here. If we have to come up there you won't like it."
"Maybe I'll get to have the pretty wife of his for a bit eh Ollie." The muscular one grunted happily, "Make him watch."
Luna said from the upstairs bedroom, "Dobby has the Abbotts."
"Okay everyone light em up." Hermione called out. She jumped from behind the bar launching a glowing orb of energy straight into the groin of the muscular one who had been joking about taking Mrs Abbott in front of her husband. At the same time Harry's head appeared from behind some of the debris as he launched a bone breaker at the female figure on the left. She managed to parry it into the ceiling causing the fight to begin.
The energy ball had connected with the muscular one's groin with a horrendous crunching splattering sound dropping him then it dissipated.
The leader threw a slashing cutting curse at Hermione who parried it as Luna slid down the banister and rolled into the room. She launched a set of spells at the tall leader who had to dodge and parry as he tried to back out of the room.
The one whose pelvis had been shattered was trying to crawl out by pulling himself with his arms. He managed to get in the way of the leader who tripped over him and fell down.
Harry had used a spell to knock the face mask off of the one slender person to discover a dark haired woman he didn't recognize. She dove out the window as Harry had to duck the spells she had thrown back at him. The wall behind him began to burn as she had thrown several flame based spells.
Harry pulled his cloak over him again and ran behind the bar. Hermione and Luna had begun to work forward one shielding the other as they moved as the one fought to untangle himself with the one on the floor while parrying and blocking the spells of the girls.
Harry had run around to the front of the pub seeing one of the death eaters had begun to float towards the sky while another had the vines from the side of the building wrapping around him squeezing his body and infiltrating themselves into his orifices.
By the time he reached the front the woman who had leapt out was dueling with Cho, Terry and Katie. She was mostly holding her own but Harry came from behind watching for stray spells and swept his wand in an arc causing the woman's legs to have their bones broken. Terry leapt forward and ripped the wand from her hand before he broke it on the side of the house.
The tall one who had been inside had managed to tumble outside where he came to one knee and looked around. Seeing he was outnumbered his masked visage raised his hands in surrender. The twelve members of the ADA hit him with six stunners, an incarcerous and five other spells that resulted in him collapsing to the ground as a heap tied and bundled with his legs and arms swapped.
The battle was over with none of the ADA suffering injury. All of the Death Eaters had been taken down in the matter of only a few minutes.
"Great job guys. Although why aren't the aurors here by now?" Harry asked.
Susan looked around before shaking her head. "I don't know. This much magic in a muggle village they should have been here by now."
"Well let's get out of here and let them handle the cleanup." Seamus suggested.
Dean tossed the Death Eater's wands in a pile in the street, terry tossed the broken pieces of the one onto the pile as well. Luna ignited them with a flame spell and soon there was nothing but a small campfire of them burning merrily.
"What about the Eaters?" Katie asked.
Harry was watching the sky and the street. "I think Seamus is right. Lets get out of here. Good job everyone."
He called for the elves and within moments they were back at the school.
===xxx===xx(Review Responses)
soliel sidus: Well Cho will have some work to do on having a healthy development. But she does provide a major clue thanks to her obsession and pain. As for the rest of it. Thanks I like writing the interactions and developing hwo they think and feel towards each other. Some of them sexual, some of them familial, some of them friends, some of them complicated. All based on real people in many ways that I've known over the years of my life.
Qhaq: Thanks
dennisud: I'm working on it. I'm glad it developed as well as it has too.
IdlemanRPG: Well thanks for the compliment. As for the electricity doesn't work around magic that's not entirely without merit/examples in other works of fiction. The Dresden Files and Buffy for example. I'm treating magic as if it was another part of the EM spectrum so a device can be shielded to work. It also is a short range interference. Sort of how like if you're on the cellphone and you get close to an electric generator or ham radio unit. You'll get some stray signal fuzz but not blow the device up, usually. The satphone was a commercially available model of the period so it was rugged but not EMP shielded. The GPS was a milspec EMP shielded one. The satphone fuzzed out due to the interference overload while the GPS worked but had distorted signals for a reason I was not clear about as they have not discovered it yet. I hope I'll explain it clear enough later on. As it'll come up.
Rifannuari95: Nudity will occur when it occurs. I'm not sure how much more we can put in without it starting to not make sense. Thank you for reading it though. I'm glad you like these versions.
