Title: Retrograde
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Harry's trial before fifth year goes differently because someone knows more than they should about Harry. Time Travel Fic.
"Right, let's set up here." Susan said, looking around a section of forest.
"What's the plan?" a Fifth Year asked. "We can't conceal the flag or anything."
"No, we can't use magic to conceal the flag." Hermione pointed out. "I have got a plan."
Hermione asked a question of the other Blue Team members, getting those who answered affirmative to raise their hands.
"Right, Hermione's in change of defence." Susan said. "Pick your team, except Luna and Bell, I want them on the Assault Team."
Hermione made her way around the group, selecting the students she wanted and nodding to Susan when she was done.
"Rest of you are with me." Susan order.
The Assault Team moved out leaving the Defence Team behind, with Hermione giving orders.
Trent was marching through the forest towards the general area where Bones was to set up her base with his attacking force clumped behind him. He had all of the Seventh Years and most of the Fifth Years on his team with him, while his 'base' was protected by two Fifth Years and the Fourth Years.
Trent was confident he had overwhelming force against Bones, so the first indication something was wrong was when spells came flying and in seconds one Seventh Year and three Fifth Years were tagged in yellow. Before they get a spell off in response, Professor Flitwick was darting away from tree to tree with a giggle. The four tagged students began to make their way back to the edge of the forest where they were to wait for the end of the exercise.
Susan's Assault Team was moving cautiously through the forest, the team spread out a bit so they were not clumped together making them an easy target but were close enough to support each other.
Harry popped up from behind a log and began firing off spells. He only got two spells off before he had to duck back down due to return fire. One of the spells landed on a Fourth Year but Susan managed to do a dive-roll to avoid the other, which was aimed at her.
Harry made a run for better cover, keeping low behind the log in a small depression as went. Snap fired spells from Harry and, in particular, Katie Bell and the Sixth Years flew but none connected. Harry made it to a cluster of trees.
"Not bad reaction times, but you need to be more aware of your surroundings." Harry taunted.
"I know where you sleep." Susan shot back.
"With your Aunt in my arms." Harry chuckled and then he faded away from the team.
"I will get him one day." Susan muttered, before raising her voice. "Let's move on. Eyes open."
The first indication that Trent's force had arrived at the Blue Team's base was Professor Vector sitting out in the open on a conjured chair. Trent looked around and saw no sign of either the Flag or any defenders from the blue Team.
"Search the area." Trent ordered.
After almost thirty seconds of searching one of the Fifth Years found the flag, having accidently kicked the concealing cover of leaflitter off of the flag.
"Found something." The Fifth Year said, bending down to pick up the flag.
"Halt!" Vector ordered, gaining the attention of all of the Red Team students. "You are all dead."
"What?" Trent almost shouted.
Vector simply indicated to Trent's shoulder. When he looked there was indeed a blue patch on his shoulder. A quick look confirmed that there was a blue patch on all of his force.
"How?" Trent wondered aloud.
"You didn't look up." A voice said from above.
Granger, followed by a half dozen students, mostly a mix of Fourth and Fifth Years, dropped down from their positions in the trees around the flag. Granger just gave Trent a grin as his team began to trudge towards the area where the 'dead' were to gather. His entire force was gone, now the best he could hope for was his defending team could defend until the time limit and force a draw.
Megan Skinner looked around the deployment of the Red Team Defensive Force. One of the two Fifth Years that were assigned to the defence, Megan had assumed command, thinking her being a Ravenclaw made her the obvious choice. Hearing a rustle, Megan spun and saw Lovegood running at the 'base' alone and in apparent panic. Megan raised her wand to cast, for a moment contemplating casting something other than the colour changing charm before deciding the detention would not be worth it. As the spell was forming on her lips, the words Lovegood were shouting finally registered.
"Angels! Angels!" Lovegood shouted.
A quick glance around saw two grey figures partly obscured by the trees with their hands in front of their faces.
"Everyone, eyes on those figures or we are all dead." Megan ordered, then added when the other Fifth Year gave her a confused look. "Weeping Angels."
"Oh shit." The other Fifth Year cursed. "Do it!"
Megan stared at the figures hard, to the exclusion of everything else for about twenty seconds until a voice sounded in her ear.
"Got you." Lovegood whispered, before raising her voice. "You can come out now."
The two Angels, who should be stone, began walking forward as Megan stared. They weren't Angels, they were just students who had been colour changed to grey. One was Lovegood's Gryffindor friend, the Weasley girl, the other was some Fourth Year.
Looking around Megan saw that all of her group were tagged and Bones was standing there twirling the Red Team Flag in her hands. The other Fifth Year was struggling on the ground with the Seventh Year Gryffindor Chaser chick, Bell or something, sitting on him. He was always as quick or quicker to use his fists than his Wand.
"Miss Bones." McGonagall said. "Do I need to remind you that you have not won until you get that flag back to your own base."
"Of course not, Professor." Bones said, before indicating to her group to move out.
Amelia washed out her mouth before she exited the bathroom to find Harry sitting on the couch.
"Everything ok, Lia?" Harry asked. "You don't look great."
"Just some bad food at the Ministry Canteen." Amelia replied as she sat down next to him.
Sliding down to settle her head on Harry's lap.
"How did the exercise go?" she asked, feeling slightly better as Harry slowly began to stroke her hair.
"Susan did well." Harry replied. "As did Hermione. They won easily. Both would do well as an Auror or as soldiers, though Hermione would probably prefer R&D or politics."
"I just wish that they did not need to be soldiers or Aurors." Amelia said.
"We'll be doing a debrief tomorrow, go through the strategies. For now, I'm starved. You want anything?" Harry asked, as he stood and placed a cushion under her head.
"Still a bit queasy." She replied.
A few minutes later Harry brought her a plate of toast with butter and then went back to the kitchen to make himself some dinner.
Harry and Amelia spent the rest of the evening just sitting on the couch listening to the Wizarding Wireless. Not talking, not working, just a husband being there for his sick wife.
TBC…