Chapter Two: The Vision

Harry spent all of his time with Remus on the last three days before school. They both went out to London to different stores, buying Harry much needed clothes. They both laughed about burning Dudley's clothes once they returned home. Remus then joked that with the way Harry was growing and getting buff, he might actually need Dudley's clothes, but then Harry had jumped on him and they had both wrestled until the old Marauder begged for mercy.

They went to several Muggle places to eat, and Harry experienced much amusement as Remus tasted the Muggle versions of food he was used to eating. He was much like Mr. Weasley, but slightly more subtle. He wasn't totally unfamiliar with Muggles and their world since he was a half-blood.

They attempted to get quills, ink, and paper in London, but they only had pens, pencils, and notebooks for paper. Harry wasn't worried about it, Hermione always had lots of extra supplies and Ron probably wouldn't mind sharing either.

During their time at home, they mostly talked. Harry learned a lot from Remus, about life, the world, everything really. He was like a fountain of information and Harry couldn't get enough to drink. He continually had the older man laughing because of all his insistent questions. They even went down into the basement several times a day where Moony taught him a few Auror tricks and rare spells he thought Harry would have need of in the future. Then he made him swear that he would never tell anyone where he had learned them from. Harry had just nodded at everything he said, absorbing everything like a sponge.

They stayed up late every night of those three days, and stuffed their faces with bad food, candy, and laughed about everything and nothing. At one point Remus had even said he felt like a teenager again. That made Harry smile.

The day that it was time to return to school, Remus escorted Harry to Platform 9 ¾, where the train would be leaving. There was tons of security, lots of Aurors and even some of the professors were there, aiding the students onto the train quickly. Harry discerned immediately that the train was going to be leaving more swiftly than usual, and he didn't even have time to look for his friends. Remus helped him with his things until they got to one of the numerous entrances to the train. Harry felt odd saying goodbye to the man, and if anything, he didn't want to go. He had helped him with so much since Sirius had died, almost as if he was trying to take his place, but Harry didn't fault him for wanting to help. He was a good man.

Harry smiled awkwardly as he set down his trunk and Hedwig's cage, making the bird squawk indignantly. Remus was scratching the back of his graying head, trying to look like he didn't care, but out of nowhere he grabbed Harry and embraced him fiercely, almost to the point of pain.

"Harry, I want you to listen to me. If anything happens, I want you to disappear. Come to Grimmauld if you can, I will be stopping in frequently to see if you need my help. I will be here for you if you need me, I promise."

Harry felt his throat close as he nodded against the fraying fabric of his coat. "I promise," he whispered, embracing the man back just as the whistle on the train began to blow.

It was harder than he thought to leave his father's best friend. He felt like...like he had another father figure in his life again. Terror seized his heart at the thought of losing him...just like he had lost Sirius.

The train whistle blew again and he nodded to the aging man, trying to swallow the lump in his throat as he turned away and boarded the train.

Carrying Hedwig and his trunk into the nearest empty room, he closed the door and sat down, staring blankly at the empty seat in front of him.

Yet another year, he thought. The last year...

There seemed to be quite a few students on the train, which surprised Harry. He had been thinking that a lot of parents would be keeping their kids home due to Voldemort, but they seemed to be thinking the same thing as him, Hermione, and Ron: Hogwarts was safer than home.

"Hey, mate!"

Harry blinked at the sight of Ron bursting in through the door. His red hair was shorter than his usual style, but Harry noticed that it made him look older. He had grown another inch or two, and his shoulders had broadened in the few months that they had been apart. He wasn't as much of a skinny red-haired pole as he used to be, in fact, it looked like he had gained a lot of muscle in the short amount of time they had been apart.

"Hey, Ron. You look great," Harry acknowledged, watching as his friend plopped down on the seat in opposite him. Ron waved his compliment off as he started going on about how a lot of the students had returned and that he was disappointed he had been made Prefect again instead of Head Boy like he had wanted. He complained about Hermione and how she had been made Head Girl, but then he started talking about how he had barely heard from her over the summer and that he hadn't seen her yet.

Harry shrugged at most of his best mate's ramblings. "I haven't seen her either, but I imagine she's here probably doing her Head Girl duties. She wrote to me a couple times over the summer, but not as much as she usually does. I wonder why," he said absentmindedly, thinking of his only female best friend. She had said she would do as much research as she could over the summer about Voldemort and the Horcruxes, but he hadn't really heard anything about it. He wondered if she had forgotten...

"Maybe she's in the Head cabin. Professor McGonagall made more Heads this year than usual. Six Prefects and two Heads in each House I think," Ron mentioned, then frowned. "Someone mentioned to me though that McGonagall also appointed two Heads to be over everyone, that way not all the Heads and Prefects were coming to her for help."

Harry half laughed, half snorted. "So there are two Head Heads?" Ron laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I guess you would call it that. Ha, I bet Hermione is a Head Head."

Ron and Harry laughed about it for several minutes, wondering who the two Head Heads were, until someone knocked on the door. Expecting Hermione, both were disappointed and surprised to see Professor McGonagall in the doorway.

The Headmistress eyed both of them for several moments, as if expecting them to be doing something naughty, but then nodded politely as if she was acknowledging they weren't. "Mr. Weasley, would you please excuse me and Mr. Potter for a moment?"

Ron frowned briefly, but nodded and left the cabin, closing the door behind him. Harry sat up straighter when the Headmistress sat opposite him, folding her hands primly in her lap after placing several silencing and protection spells on the compartment. The walls flashed different colors, and then settled back to normal.

"How are you doing, Harry?" she asked concernedly. Harry sensed she was dissecting his features, and he felt odd sitting there with her alone. Was there something on his face? He sneered at his inner self, wondering where that thought had come from.

He shrugged, but when she gave him a glare, he decided to answer verbally. "I'm fine, Professor. Just wanting to get to Hogwarts safe."

The older woman nodded, understanding. "We have many safety measures in place right now, Harry. If we are attacked, which I doubt we will be, we will be protected." She looked at him closely again, and Harry had the distinct feeling that something peculiar was going on.

He raised his eyebrow. She was studying him to the extreme. Had he changed that much over the summer? Remus had said he looked different. "Is there...something you want to ask me, Professor?"

She felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "How observant you are, Mr. Potter. Actually yes, there is something I wish to ask of you, but you are free to turn me down."

Harry looked at her strangely, wondering what in the world she could want to ask him that was important enough not to wait until they arrived at the castle. As he studied her features, he could tell that the stresses of the past year were getting to her. Her face seemed strained, and she looked way older than she really was. More white was appearing from underneath her pointed witch's hat, and her normal green robe was replaced with a stark black one, giving her an even more severe look.

"Mr. Potter, as I am sure you do not know, we had recent deaths concerning several of our Hogwarts students during an attack at Diagon Alley. Pansy Parkinson and her family were killed just a few days ago, and Anthony Goldstein, amongst others." Harry gasped, surprised. Although he did not like Pansy, especially with her being part of the Slytherin House and a bully, he didn't think she deserved to die. Anthony, however, had been part of Ravenclaw and had been a member of the DA. He had been a friend. "She was a Slytherin Prefect, and she was awarded Chief Head Girl this year, and same with Anthony, but Chief Head Boy. Unfortunately, since they have passed, I have been forced to make some changes to the system. Your friend, Hermione Granger, was awarded her position, and now I am left without a Chief Head. I was wondering if you would be interested in the position."

Harry stared at her, stunned. He admitted to himself that when Ron and Hermione were made Prefects two years ago he had been severely jealous, especially when Ron was made one over him...but he couldn't imagine being a Head when Ron was more qualified for the position.

"Before you answer, I want to let you know some of the benefits of being a Head. You will have your own room in Gryffindor Tower, and a common room which would be shared with the other Prefects and Head. You will have no restrictions concerning when you need to be to your room at night, for all that I care, you can be out all night...however much I would not recommend that," she said stiffly, but with a small quirk to the corner of her mouth when he sat up even straighter, acknowledging possibilities. "You have your own Head bathroom in which you will have more privacy against others, unlike the common bathrooms that your fellow Gryffindors must share. It is something like the Prefect bathroom that I am sure you have seen considering your past. You will have full access to the library's restricted section, which, from what I hear...you may need." She raised her eyebrow at him and watched him closely. "I will also be giving you and a select few constant right of entry to my office." She sighed, looked troubled, then continued. "I am not just giving you this position because I think you are a good choice, for you are, but I am also giving you this position because Professor Dumbledore and I have had a chat...and I agree with him when I say that you need all available assistance and resources you can possibly get this year." She leaned forward, nearly whispering. "I am not expecting you to so much be a...student...this year, Harry. I think you know what I mean. If for some reason you need to miss a class, report to me, and I will excuse you. I am on your side, Potter."

Harry felt a huge smile appear on his face. This seemed almost too perfect; he was actually getting help to fight against Voldemort! With the last Horcruxes to destroy, this was just way too good to be true. Being a normal student would have made this hard...but Professor McGonagall had just made his life way easier.

"I accept, Professor," he decided, shaking her outstretched hand. She was also smiling, making her look much younger.

"That is excellent, Potter. Here is your badge," she said, placing the silver badge with a red background in his hand that said Chief Head Boy in his hand, surrounded by each house's mascot and house colors. "Now I suggest going to the Head compartment and meeting the other House Heads. You will all be working together this year very closely."

Harry nodded and went to grab Hedwig's cage and his trunk. Professor McGonagall waved him off. "Do not worry about your things; they will be taken care of. I only recommend that you change into your robes now to put a good impression upon the new students."

Harry nodded once more and waited for the Headmistress to leave before he tugged on his black robe and pinned his badge to his chest. He stared at it a few moments before he was interrupted by another knock on the door. Frowning, he flung it open and almost fell backwards as Ron toppled in.

"Oi, be careful with—"

Ron stopped when he nearly collided with the badge on Harry's chest. "When did you—?"

"Professor McGonagall just made me Chief Head Boy. Hermione is replacing Pansy Parkinson as Chief Head Girl because Pansy and her family were killed...no doubt accidentally since they sided with the Dark Lord...and so was Anthony Goldstein. McGonagall needed two new Chief Heads so she chose us."

Ron stared at him in disbelief, and Harry knew that he was thinking that he should have been made Head, not Harry. Immediately wanting to make his best mate feel better about the situation, he said, "Don't feel bad, Ron. We will be able to do so much more together now, and Hermione will be with us too. Hey," he whispered sneakily, "maybe you can slip into her room, eh?"

Ron laughed uneasily and started scratching the back of his head. "I don't know, Harry. Hermione acts like she likes me, but at the same time, I'm scared of her. Plus she was distant the whole summer with me, she only wrote me once or twice. I bet she wrote you more than me..."

It was probably the truth, but that wasn't what Harry was going to say. They were getting closer to Hogwarts and they hadn't even seen her yet, so Harry suggested going to find her. Ron agreed reluctantly, his shoulders drooping.

"You think that if I asked her out, she would say yes?" Ron asked quietly, not wanting to attract attention.

"Bloody right she would, Ron. I know she's liked you since forever, but you two are just too chicken to ask one another. You should definitely ask."

Ron and Harry had a small laugh over how funny it would be to see Ron asking Hermione out and the possible outcomes. Neither had very much experience with girls, but both agreed that they would try to get a serious girlfriend this year. Thinking of a girlfriend, Harry instantly thought of Ginny...he had told her that they couldn't be together because of the danger...would it be possible to get back together with her? He had told her that he wasn't planning on coming back, and now that he was...maybe it was a possibility...a distinct possibility.

"How is Ginny doing?" Harry asked, walking by several compartments with students goofing off. He even passed several with couples making out and groping each other. Rolling his eyes at the sight, he continued his search for Hermione.

"She's good...she was quiet most of the summer. I think she was sulking over you, mate." Then his friend cocked his head to the side. "She was gone a lot too. I think she was hanging out with Loony a bunch or something."

Harry stopped to look at Ron, and noticed for the first time how they were almost of equal height. Ron had always been slightly taller than him, and Harry felt amazed that he had grown so much as to catch up to him. He wondered what else had changed about himself over the summer.

"Wow," Harry said, surprised. "Do you think she would...you know, go out with me again?"

Ron shrugged, deflating Harry's hope. "I don't know, man. She was sulky all summer, yes, but when we talked about you, she always got quiet and acted like she didn't care. Maybe it's some sort of female defense mechanism."

Harry felt his face twist in confusion. "Defense mechanism? What the hell is that?"

Ron laughed. "I don't know, I heard dad talking about it one day, how mum acts certain ways and he said that's how she defends herself, she shuts herself off from things so they don't bother her. Maybe you should do some sort of a trial and error thing. Watch her and try to be around her and see how she acts. If she acts interested, then maybe she wants to go back out with you. If she doesn't, then I would back away and go for someone else. There are lots of girls in the school, Harry. You don't have to just go after Ginny."

Harry snorted. "Yeah, so that makes sense why you've been chasing Hermione's skirt since you've known her. Well, except for Lav."

Harry laughed when his best friend stuck his tongue out at him, and then stopped in front of compartment A1, where the Heads and Prefects usually hung out. They looked inside and saw an older girl reclined across the whole cushion with a book in her face, her long legs bare. She was alone.

Ron jerked the door open, startling the girl inside. She gasped, dropped her book, and jumped up in anger, prepared to scold whoever was stupid enough to intrude so rudely.

With her finger pointed in the air and ready to admonish the pitiful soul that interrupted her, Ron grabbed her and squeezed her until she squeaked.

"Hermione! Oh, how I have missed thee!"

She sputtered and tried to shove him off her. "Ron, let go of me you prat! You are impossible, you know?" She pushed away from him and brushed back her hair, trying to fix her skirt and shirt that he had rumpled upon his attack.

Ron backed off as Harry entered the compartment and closed the door. Harry tried to shove his friend out of the way or make him sit down, but it was as if Hermione had hit him with a Petrificus Totalus curse. He wouldn't even budge.

"Ron, what the hell, mate. Sit down or—"

Harry figured out immediately what it was that Ron was staring at.

Hermione.

Both Ron and Harry stared at the vision in shock. They had once seen her look something like this at the Yule Ball a few years back, but that had been once and when they had been younger. Now...

Her hair was down in a silken curtain of curls. Instead of bushy and frizzy like it normally was, it looked soft and smooth. Her style of clothing seemed to have changed as well; her shirt was tight against her chest and showed off curves that neither had ever noticed on the girl before. She was wearing a dark blue skirt that went to mid-thigh, not looking like she was trying to attract attention but drawing attention nonetheless. And her face—

"Are you wearing makeup?" Ron stated the obvious, blurting it out like an idiot. Hermione's face flamed and she attempted to cover her face, but Harry punched Ron as hard as he could in the shoulder, effectively making him fall and get out of his way as he yelled "OUCH! That bloody hurt, you—"

"You're stupid, Ron," Harry hissed, moving in front of Hermione and opening his arms. She didn't hesitate a moment before she flung herself into his embrace, squeezing him tightly with one of her typical hugs. Harry held her close as he rested his chin on top of her head, smiling. He really had gotten taller. He then moved her away, wanting to get a real look at her. She looked to be close to tears, but Harry knew she wouldn't let them fall. She was too prideful to let it show that Ron's words had hurt her. But even with her watery eyes, she looked positively lovely. Her hair was much longer than it had ever been, but it looked good on her. Her tight clothes showed him curves that he couldn't believe she even had, and made him feel almost wary. Little Hermione wasn't a girl anymore...she was a woman.

"You look beautiful, Hermione," Harry said softly, hugging her once more and then letting her go. She blinked a few times and nodded as she stepped away, sitting back down again and grabbing her book. Ron tried to sit next to her but Harry shoved him back into the opposite seat. Ron looked confused, but Harry gave him a silencing motion with his hand against his throat, telling him to shut up.

Hermione buried her face back behind her book, almost as if she was trying to hide her features. Harry could still see the slight stain of pink on her cheeks and her chest rising rapidly up and down, and wanted to bash Ron on the head for being so stupid.

"So Hermione, did you see?"

Wanting to draw her attention away from her book, Harry pointed to the badge on his chest. Hermione looked out of the corner of her eyes, and then gasped in surprise when she saw that Harry had been appointed as Head Boy.

"Oh, Harry! That's wonderful!" she cried, literally throwing her book aside as she leapt at him to congratulate him. Her arms wrapped around him, and he jolted unexpectedly at the contact. He was used to her hugs, but sensed something odd, something much more different than when Hermione had embraced him before. It suddenly seemed like time was slowing...and he felt, saw, and smelled everything; he felt the movement of air as she drew in a deep breath against the side of his face, where hers was pressed warmly; he could smell the sweet flowery scent from her hair, and her soft, gentle hand against his skin at the nape of his neck. He could feel her breasts molded against his chest, and her bare legs brushing against the fabric of his black pants. Whatever was going on, it made his whole body suddenly...aware of her.

Scared, he almost shoved her away. He had never felt anything like that before, especially from Hermione, and he didn't know how to react to it, and above all in front of Ron...the boy who liked her.

She was smiling brightly at him as she pulled away, but she left her hand on his shoulder. Her face was positively glowing, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling, as if she was genuinely happy that he had been made Chief Head Boy. She looked beautiful smiling like that. Why had he never noticed her smile before?

"You'll have to teach me everything," he said, nearly choking on his own words. His voice had almost cracked mid-sentence, and he felt like a complete duffer. It was like he was fourteen or fifteen again, when girls had made him stutter and his voice cracked at odd, completely embarrassing moments.

"Oh, it's easy!" she said, her hand flowing from his shoulder to his pectoral muscle. He drew in a sharp breath. "It's almost like the military. The top of the totem pole consists of Headmistress McGonagall, then the professors. From there it goes to the Chief Heads, Heads, and then Prefects. Filch is in there somewhere, no one cares. Under the Prefects it's the students. So, for example, if you wanted something done, you could tell another Head to complete it. However, if they wanted to, they could order a Prefect to do it instead. But, it works the other way if a problem occurs. If a student has gotten in trouble, then Ron would come to us or another Head. Ron can deal out punishments and detentions, but for more severe cases, he might want to come to us so we can go to Professor McGonagall. We go on rounds every now and then to make sure everything is in order, and take care of anything that Professor McGonagall needs us to do. Understand?"

Harry stared at her, wowed at everything that had just poured out of her mouth nonstop and hardly without a breath. Ron was still pouting on the opposite seat, not even paying attention. He was glad, because her hand was still resting gently against his chest.

She quirked her eyebrow at him, still wanting an answer. "Y-yeah," he stuttered, making her roll her eyes.

"Good. Then you and Ron should go on rounds now. Make sure everything is ok and stop any horsing around. Report back to me when you are done. Ron can show you the ropes!"

Ron stood with Harry, happy to be leaving. Harry left first and then Ron, who slammed the door behind him. Harry gave him a confused look, not understanding why he was acting this way.

"What's wrong with you, Ron?"

Ron jerked open a compartment door and yelled at some second years who were wrestling around. He slammed the door closed when they jumped back into their seats with their hands folded neatly on their laps.

"Everything's wrong, mate. Did you see her? What the hell, man? She's bloody well gorgeous now! She's never going to want me, especially when every guy is going to be sniffing up her skirts now. I mean, did you see her? I almost had to cross my legs to keep from—"

Harry sighed loudly, interrupting him from finishing his sentence. "Ron, first off, stop being a plonker. Hermione has always been pretty...it was just that other guys didn't see around her bossy nature and her hair. So what, she fixes her hair and wears some lip gloss? Wears some different clothes? She's still Hermione to me," he said, that odd seed that had been planted in the back of his mind tickling his brain. "She...she's always been pretty, Ron. I think you should still ask her out."

Ron shook his head. "She will say no. Especially after saying 'are you wearing makeup' like a complete bloody git. She looked like she wanted to cry. I'm so stinking stupid, Harry."

Harry felt bad for his friend, but there wasn't much he could do but try to encourage him. "Maybe you should say sorry or something. Make it up to her somehow."

Ron lapsed into a depressed silence, mumbling to himself at how dumb he was with girls. Harry just shook his head as they continued their rounds, that strange seed in the back of his head continuing to bother him.

Author's Note: Please review and let me know what you think!