Chapter Thirty-Nine: Breaking the News

Tobias: Oh My God! WULFRIC!

(Tobias jumps all over Wulfric)

Wulfric: Miss me much?

Tobias: Only a heck of a lot!

Wulfric: Well I'm at least here for this chapter. Guys, you all know the drill, I don't own any of this.. I especially can't since the Sixth Book.. no way in hell I could have written that.. thing.

Harry walked down to breakfast the next morning with a slow step. Hermione was right outside the Great Hall waiting for him a smile on her face. Since a couple weeks ago, she had really cleared her head and was back to the normal Hermione. Harry and her were even thinking of sliding back into a relationship, and Harry hoped beyond hope that she wouldn't be completely crushed with the news he and Albus had to give.

"Hiya Harry!"

"Hey Hermione, Granddad wants you to come up to his office. Do you want to grab a bite to eat before ?" Harry asked, trying to put on a semicheerful face.

"That's okay, unless you are hungry."

"No, I'm not exactly hungry. Want an escort?" Harry said in a charming voice while offering his arm.

"Anytime," Hermione replied, taking the offered arm. As they made their way up the steps Professor McGonagall watched them acend and whispered, "Ten points to Gryffindor for not allowing her to think there is something wrong, at least not yet."

When Harry and Hermione reached the gargoyle that guarded the office Harry decided to lift her spirits just a bit before they headed up. "Betcha can't guess Granddad's new password."

"Um.. Cockroach Clusters?"

"Nah."

Hermione got a calculating look on her face before she listed off a few more candies, " Acid Pops? No. Lemon Drops? Nah. Chocolate Frogs? Darn it."

"Give up yet?"

"Yeah, I guess I do. I could stand here and list candy all day, but you're standing there and you know it."

"Ice Mice," Harry said turning to the gargoyle. With a wink, it moved aside allowing enterance. Harry offered his arm again and they headed up the stairs.

Albus did not wish to have to deliver the news he was about to. He hated to tell his students that members of their families, especially parents, were killed. This one was going to be even harder, since Harry had witnessed the entire act of hate in his vision from Voldemort.

He was awakened from his musings by his office door opening and Harry leading Hermione in. "Ah, Harry thank you for bringing Ms. Granger up. Please, take a seat, I have some news I need to share with you."

"What is it sir?"

"Have you seen a Daily Prophet yet this morning?" Hermione shook her head, and Albus continued, "Well there was an attack last night, one the Order did not know about. I do not know how to tell you this, but your parents were killed in that attack."

Hermione let out a small sob, as she asked, "D-Did they s-suffer?"

"No Ms. Granger, they did not."

Turning to Harry she asked her next question, "Did y-you see the a-attack?"

Nodding his head Harry answered, "Yes, I did. They weren't afraid to die, they told Voldemort, even if he killed them their daughter would be loved and cared for in the Wizarding World. And they were right, we won't let anything happen to you. We love you... I love you."

Hermione jumped out of her seat and into Harry, holding him as she cried for the loss of her parents. Albus came around his desk and embraced them both, giving all the comfort that he could. When Hermione had finally cried all that she could, she fell asleep in Harry's arms.

"Should I take her into Draco's old room?" Harry asked his grandfather. Draco had moved in with Severus about two weeks ago, but him and Harry were still close.

"Yes, I'll alert the teachers that she'll be missing classes. I take it you'd like to stay as well?" Albus asked the teen in front of him.

"If that's alright sir. I'll go and get my assignments then work on them," Harry started before Albus held up a hand.

"You just put her to bed, I'll get both of you your assignments, " Albus told him.

"Thank you."

Harry carried her into Draco's old room, which had changed back into the room she stayed in during the summer and tucked her into the bed. Placing a kiss on the top of her head, he went back into the office where Dumbledore had just finished informing the teachers that Hermione would be absent.

" I have your assignments. Would you like me to teach you the transfiguration lesson?"

"Please, I think I remember her telling us we were starting animal to animal transformations," Harry replied.

"That's correct, open your book to page 276 and read the first two paragraphs and tell me what you think." Harry set on his task, and after he finished he looked up at Dumbledore. "Well?"

"It says that this is one of the first things in the bigger picture of the animagus transformation, and that there's no set incantation. It's more of imagining and manipulating your magic to do the required task, hence one has to have greater control of their own magic," Harry answered.

"Excellent, 5 points to Gryffindor for that answer. Do you think you can do the magic required?"

"We'll have to see by trial and error."

Albus smiled as he went around to his desk and brought out a black kitten from a small basket. "Why don't you try turning this kitten into a puppy?"

Harry thought a moment before he asked, "What kind of puppy? Wouldn't it be easier to do the transformation if you knew all the details about what you were turning the kitten into?"

"Correct Harry. How about we start with a Golden Retriever puppy?"

"Okay," Harry said as he began concentrating on all the details he knew about that breed of dog. When he thought he had it, he tapped his wand on the kitten's head and willed his magic to change it. To his surprise, in the next moment there was a puppy in his lap. It wasn't exactly golden, it was darker, but it was defintely a puppy. "I did it!"

"Yes you did, now change it back," Albus directed. As he watched Harry turn the kitten back, he remembered how much he enjoyed being in the classroom. It was nice to have a chance to actually teach again. Harry and Albus continued to work on Transfigurations for sometime, until Harry finally got the hang of transforming one animal into a different animal.

"What's my assignment for Defense?"

"Well, you don't have to practice that one."

"Why not sir?" asked Harry.

"Patronus Charms."

They worked on the other parts of Harry's work, and broke for lunch when Albus called a house elf to deliver them lunch. Hermione still had not awoken yet, but Albus expected her to wake before dinner. After lunch, they worked on Charms which was a review almost for Harry, since he had used half of the charms during the Triwizard Tournament.

"What are your plans after Hogwarts Harry?" Albus asked when they finished up the lessons.

"I'm not sure. I may play Quidditch, but I don't know about that one. Sir, what do you need to do to be able to teach ?"

"Thinking of becoming a teacher?"

"Yes sir, after teaching the D.A. last year, I really began to enjoy watching students like Neville get spells they hadn't before. I liked being able to give them the confidence to do well in things. I was so proud of them last year, " answered Harry.

"And I was proud of you."

"You were?"

"Very much so Harry," began Albus. "The name alone made me proud, but to see students from three different houses working together to learn Defense, and broadening their studies outside of a class under the direction of another student, made me even prouder if that is possible."

Harry blushed a bit before walking over to hug the older man. " I love you Granddad."

"And I love you Harry James Godric Orion Potter - Dumbledore, " replied Albus, hugging Harry back.

" I love the both of you, " came a soft voice from the door separating the personal quarters from the office. Hermione walked over to the pair where she was pulled into a warm comfortable hug.

When they broke, she looked at the two of them and asked, "Now what happens to me?"

a/n: my god.. i was gone for.. FOREVER.. wow.. I apologize many many times, and I deserve to be burnt at the stake. But, I did come back.. I mean there is "Guardianship".. and I've done well for two days with that one... And with this one, I am still contemplating rewriting a handful of chapters and adding one here and there.. I hope there are still some of you out there reading this..

And I just ask one thing from you all... Please do not give me reviews that just say "UPDATE".. I hate those.. they're quite irritating.. Thank you.

Wulfric

OH!And Guys, I did a little rewriting from 3 - 37ish.. not like huge amounts, but it made the story flow just a little bit better, I just wanted to let you all know that.

Tobias: So what have you been up to old buddy?

Wulfric: Started a new story.. Guardianship.. and ended up with someone more annoying than you.

Tobias: WHAT!

Wulfric: Yea, Phoenix is worse than you...

(Tobias is in shock..)

Wulfric: Well I gotta grab a pitchfork..

(Wulfric grabs her favorite Gryffindor Pitchfork and heads out the door..)