Title: Code of the Griffin
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.
"Five minutes. Everyone start packing up." Snape ordered.
Most of the students started packing away, a few put their unfinished potions into inert containers for storage till the next class. Snape patrolled, but did not loom, to ensure that everything was being properly stored.
Two months had passed since the start of term and the revelations regarding Harry and Hermione's status as Lord and Lady. Snape, no longer able to intimidate and threaten under the penalty of summary dismissal by a student, had ended up displaying his consummate ability as a potions master and his competency as a teacher. While still not friendly with his students, he was no longer openly hostile.
Neville confidently put the stopper on the vial containing a sample of his potion and passed it to Professor Snape. Without the black clad teacher constantly looming over him, and with the confidence born of the Order training, the formerly clumsy boy had proved to have a deft touch with potions. Hermione, without having to constantly monitor and help her fellow Gryffindor, was brewing complex potions well beyond third year level at the same time as the assigned potions.
The four Gryffindors left the potions dungeon and marched through the castle to their next class in a formation developed by German fighter pilots in World War 2 called the Finger Four. Hermione was in the lead with Neville a step behind on her left and Ron the same on her right. Harry was on the outside of the formation a step behind and to Ron's right.
All four were dressed in their school uniforms, Harry and Hermione had their family swords visible, but they all carried concealed pistols beneath their robes and their eyes constantly scanned the milling mass of students as they made their way out of the castle and down to Hagrid's hut for their Care of Magical Creatures class. As the class assembled, they were joined by Susan Bones as Care was one of the few classes where all four houses were in the same class.
"Right. Everyone here? Lets go then." Hagrid's voice boomed as he lead the class away into the forest. "Here we are then."
"What's the great dolt doing now. This is an empty clearing." Draco sneered to Goyle.
"Can anyone tell me what is here?" Hagrid asked.
"There's nothing here." Another student said.
"Thestrals." Hermione replied, causing almost everyone to stare at her in shock.
"Right you are, Hermione." Hagrid said, revealing a bucket full of small strips of meat.
Hermione took a peace of meat and walked forward slowly holding it in her palm. All the students gasped as the peace of meat rose from her hand and then disappeared.
"Long thought to be a myth, the Thestrals are cousin to the Pegasus, but they are all black, mostly skeletal and can only be seen by those who have seen death." Hagrid explained.
"You've seen death?" Dean asked Hermione.
"We're old friends." She replied, as if to wave it off but with a deep undercurrent of feeling.
"Hear he's a wicked chess player." Harry joked.
"Who do you think taught him." She joked back with a genuine smile.
For over a month Harry had been distant to her. They still talked in classes, while studying, during Order training sessions and while just chatting with Ron, but he always seemed slightly closed off. This was the first real joke he had made with just her in weeks.
"Alright, everyone except Hermione line up and take a turn looking through these glasses." Hagrid ordered, holding up a pair of old wireframe glasses. "These were made by a wizard during the Black Death, he was doing a focusing spell on them when Death claimed his wife. These will allow you to see the Thestrals."
Harry stood calmly and quietly beside Hermione for a few minutes, as if to just let her know she was still his friend before he went for his turn.
Hagrid stood grinning next to Hermione as he watched the students. Once you looked through the Glasses you became aware of the Thestrals, even though you could not see them. Throughout it all Hermione sat with her back against a tree, calmly petting a young Thestral Colt.
Hermione and Harry watched as the majority of the student body left the campus for the last Hogsmead weekend before Christmas. Harry and Hermione had decided not to go to the nearby village as their status allowed them to go much more interesting places on a regular basis. The previous weekend Harry had been to Zurich for a meeting while Hermione had, two weeks before, spent a whole day in meetings in Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, New York and Johannesburg.
They went back inside the castle, heading to the Great Hall. As they entered the Great Hall, all its tables and benches now stacked against the walls, the removed their outer robes and tossed them onto one of the stacked benches.
CLANG!
Harry stepped back and circled to the left. Feigning to the right, he swung low on the left, only to have his sword blocked by Hermione's.
"Better. But you are still advertising your blows." She advised.
They continued to spar for almost an hour, Hermione keeping her swordwork limited to something that would challenge but not overwhelm Harry, who was progressing remarkably well.
"You have any plans for Christmas break?" Hermione asked as they took a break, taking drinks from the water bottles that the house elves had unobtrusively provided.
"Not really. Probably just stay here." Harry replied with a shrug. "I have no desire to see my relatives and staying alone at one of my properties is not appealing either."
"Why not come home with me?" Hermione asked. "My parents have wanted to meet my friend Harry since I first told them about you. There is also someone else I want you to meet."
"That sound good." Harry said, a mile blush just barley marring his face.
"Alright. Now, break's over." She grinned.
He groaned.
"I think we are going about this wrong." Hermione's voice came from the living room.
"It's a solid stratagem." The Grand Marshall responded from her place in the command centre, her eyes scanning the constant flow of data that appeared holographically on the table.
"It may be a solid stratagem, but we will scare him off." Hermione Potter said, coming out of the living room and idly pushing a strand of her wavy hair over her shoulder.
"Look, I've done this for a long time." The Grand Marshall replied, rubbing her temple wearily.
A crash came from the back of the room, from behind a solid metal door, accompanied by a scream full of rage and hatred before it went silent again.
"We have done that for a long time too." Young Hermione Granger said, indicating to the door.
"She is never coming out again." Hermione Potter snapped.
"We can not do this a you." Young Hermione said to the Grand Marshall.
"If anyone can do this, I can." The ancient warrior said. "Besides, if we do it as you, he dies."
"I never suggested we do this as me." Young Hermione said.
"Then that only leaves me." Hermione Potter replied.
"Oh please." The Grand Marshall said.
"You would expect him to be your husband." Young Hermione replied. "While you probably know who he will be the best, that is not who he is now. You would hurt him the deepest of all of us."
"Then you have no solution." Hermione Potter said, dismissing her younger self.
"We need to reassess the parameters." The Grand Marshall said, half to herself.
Young Hermione retreated to her library, pulling down a book and started to read.
"We don't need the girl he once know." She mused to herself. "Nor his wife. Not the monster or the Military leader. What we need is Hermione."
TBC
OMAKE! (my first ever)
Draco was looking through the stupid glasses at the skeletal horses, which he had to admit, to himself if not out laud, were kind of cool. Suddenly a new figure appeared as if out of a mist. Robed and hooded in an inky black, a wicked looking scythe in one hand. The figure turned to look at Draco, he was unable to see anything from within the ink darkness of the cowl as the figure slowly, ominously raised its arm and… waved.
He pulled off the glasses and threw them on the ground. When he looked up he still saw the figure and so did everyone else. That Mudblood Granger approached the figure, who waved an arm as if casting a spell. Draco ducked and turned his back, half expecting an explosion.
"White or Black, like I have to ask."
Was that Granger's voice?
"Black, of course." Came an oily smooth voice.
Draco stood and looked back at the figure and could not believe his eyes. Granger and Death were playing chess.
"It's a bit early, but I could reap that one." Death said, nodding at Draco. "Call it a thanks for setting me up with the Misses."
"Nah. Some of his Descendants are good friends of mine." Granger replied.
"Very well." Death replied.
"His father on the other hand…"
Draco shuddered. Despite not being able to see Death's face he could feel a smile.
"Done." Death said as he moved. "Check in five."
Hermione made her move and Death cocked his head.
"Check Mate in three." She replied with a grin.
"Bugger."
End Omake