Back again folks still own nothing.
Peter ducked beneath the swipe of a suit of armor as it tried to swat him out of the way. Kitty hadn't shown the trio the full extent of what her work in the danger room had created just yet. For the time being they were the only ones that used the room on its combat simulations since the Defenders preferred to use the room as a maze or obstacle course rather than as a one on one training room where the room tried to squash you with combat partners Kitty had even configured a way to get them to either shoot spells at you or to attack she had yet to manage to get a mixture though she was hoping that sooner or later she would manage to figure out the runic equations that allowed for that sort of thing so that she could increase their training difficulty. Peter looked up, as there was a knock on the door. The two quickly disengaged the attack sequence and allowed for the room to take on its obstacle course like feature.
The door opened and Harry came in watching them suspiciously. Peter wondered what it was that they had done to get on the white hats short list again. Ever since Kitty had shown them this room though they had been getting the cold shoulder from Harry and Hermione. That was better than the hostile greetings and dirty looks that they got from Ron though. It was as if they were suspects for something or other but because there was no proof there was no one saying anything.
"You need something man?" Peter questioned as he summoned a towel toward him to wipe the sweat off.
Harry shook his head before he tossed a scroll toward Peter. "Yeah, you got some mail from Moody." He said. "Seems he somehow managed to get his hands on a phony Daily Prophet and slip this into it."
Peter looked at the letter. "Color me impressed, he even got the date right." The teen said. "The old man has an eye for these things." He quickly read the letter.
"Well?"
Peter shrugged and tossed the letter to Harry. "Just him asking what it is that I want to do over the holidays. We've been trying to come to an agreement on that. I was kind of hoping to go to spend some more time with my friends, but he thinks that I should come to HQ with the rest of you."
"Is there a problem with that?" Harry asked him. "I mean sure its a bit annoying being stuck there and all but."
"But I don't like hiding, and staying in there is hiding." Peter said trying to explain his reasoning to the dark haired boy. "I'm trying to come up with a compromise of half my holiday with my friends and half with him on the condition that he actually shows up. Cause I'm not real sure that I want to come around headquarters if he just wants to play spy games for the headmaster. The only times I even got to talk with him was that first day and the occasional day that he decided to stop by at Headquarters long enough to eat a few things."
Harry nodded he could understand that kind of thinking no one liked cages and it seemed that Peter was just as bad if not worse than he and Sirus when it came to cages. "I can understand that kind of thinking, but it is supposed to keep us safe." He tried echoing some of the things that Hermione had told him.
"The only kind of safety we're getting out of the place is learning to be paranoid." Peter returned to the other boy. "There is no way that your dark wizard is going to make a move though with the way things are going right now. Personally I'd have thought that you would want to find a more public place to celebrate the holidays. Let the Ministry know that you're just an ordinary guy who happens to believe that a super-powered, insane, power hungry Hitler wannabe is wandering around the world. The more you hide the more they can speculate. If you were to go and be at places like Diagon alley or some restaurant for lunch people would see the real you, but Dumbledore has got you barely making an appearance at all."
"And if I did make an appearance, what would that prove?" Harry asked the American in annoyance. "They've already made up their minds about me, and I'm not going to try and change their minds."
"And that there is where you are wrong." Peter told the other boy. "You have to be able to find your way out of the mess you're in Harry, and right now that means you have to deal with the paper. Imagine if you were noted as to have been walking up and down the alley a few times during break? Its hard to create rumors about a guy being unstable when everyone else can see that he is acting just fine don't you think? Everyone else has gotten you so scared right now that you don't even really know just what it is that you are doing." Peter told Harry, as the two wiry boys looked each other in the eyes.
"It also would paint a target on me by saying here I am." Harry argued. "As it is, the Ministry or someone else has already tried to kill me at least once. Do you really think that I want to give them another chance?"
"Your fighting a different kind of battle right now though Harry." Peter tried to convince the other boy. "This isn't a fight right now where you can wave a wand and everyone will listen to you. Right now you're in a fight of public opinion and the Ministry are the current champions of the ring. You need to step back and think of a way to counter them. As far as trying to kill you I doubt that they'll try that again, or if they do it will be a bit more subtle than the last time that they came after you." Neither boy mentioned that they both were aware of several more subtle ways of killing someone if they needed to.
"Great, and if Voldemort shows up?"
"Stay alive as long as possible." Peter supplied. "Then when the dust clears you can tell them I told you so."
"You have some of the oddest ideas on how to win a fight." Harry told the other boy.
"Hey I'm just weird that way." Peter returned proudly while flashing a grin. "As for fighting the Ministry, the Prophet could be made to look like a fool or something. A way to discredit their stories maybe? Make them out to be nothing more than a joke. Then people will listen to them a bit less hopefully."
"And what would I gain out of it?" Harry shot back.
"You would get a few less stares and whispers as you walk up and down the hallways." Peter told the other boy bluntly. "Think about it for a bit. This is your place though you know the way people think better than I do, but I do know how a change in public opinion can affect a person. I've seen it happen enough times for it to be a familiar old song."
Harry nodded back. "I'll consider it. I do have a question for you though."
"About why you guys have been giving us the cold shoulder again?"
"Yes."
"Good, it was starting to drive Kitty crazy. She went to a lot of work by making this room and training you to earn your trust and you just threw it back in her face." Peter told him coolly.
Harry turned a little red at this. He sighed before he asked the question that had been dragging in the back of the trio's minds for the past few days. "Why is it that there is a Black family insignia on the control board?"
"There is?" Peter asked in surprise he did a forward flip toward the control board and looked at the various things that Kitty had placed there. He examined the board and low and behold there was the Black family emblem just as Harry had described it. "Um wow? That does explain things." Peter said slapping himself upside the head. "I didn't do the design work really this was mainly Kitty's work with her using me to bounce ideas off of. But I've known Kitty for a while since that crazy trip in the subway system that we had when she was supposed to be babysitting and I had gotten someplace I really shouldn't have been. If the Black emblem is there I can only take a couple of guesses as to why it might be there."
"And what might those be?" Harry asked with interest.
"The most basic one would be that because this thing uses things that are in the castle to create stuff in the room then I would presume that the Black family doohickey was the closest thing to what it was that we needed for that spot so it was placed there by the magic so that we could control things." The American said as he examined the table. "Another would be that since Kitty saw it so much while at the Black house her subconscious put it there without her being aware of it."
"Those both actually makes a kind of since." Hermione said as she flipped the hood of the Invisibility cloak off her head now lost in thought over what it was that they had learned.
Peter looked at her curiously. "Is this in case I attacked Harry boy here?" He questioned them getting a nod from the pair. Peter sighed but nodded at them in understanding. "Please try and keep your suspicious natures to yourselves next time. We only want to help. The only thing is we're not doing as much yes and no siring as the three of you are doing."
"Fine. But we will be watching you a bit more closely from now on." Hermione warned him.
"So where's Ron?"
"Keeping Kitty busy while we deal with you." Hermione admitted with a blush. "We didn't want try and take the two of you on in here at the same time in case it happened that you were double agents or something."
Peter nodded and sighed sometimes getting people to trust them was the hardest part about doing the right thing he so wished that there was an easy way to that but there wasn't. It was crazy these guys didn't even know him as Spiderman or Kitty as a mutant and they still didn't trust him. They couldn't even explain about the Lords of Magic sending the pair of them here since there was nothing in all of the books that they had gone over about the Lords of Magic or anything that had even vaguely resembled them. That left them on their own to deal with whatever problems that they had to deal with in convincing everyone that they were actually good guys to them. The fact that Malfoy had a bit of an idea who they were didn't really help considering that he probably didn't have the whole story or only had bits and pieces of it which probably made them a lot more dangerous to them than Dumbledore and the Order who didn't really know anything.
The three teens left the Room of Requirement and strolled through the hallways looking for their friends. The group was curious as to how Ron might try and keep Kitty busy and whether the redhead would be standing if he had done something that had not amused Kitty. The group found the pair engaged in a game of chess the two were both concentrating deeply on their pieces as they both tried to outmaneuver each other. "Think we should interrupt them?" Harry asked with a grin as he watched Ron pull a Rook back to counter a Bishop.
"That depends. Do you really think that we would survive if we were to do something?" Peter whispered back as Kitty moved a Pawn to threaten the Bishop.
"Yes, besides Harry you know that the two of them are going to be going at each other for a while like this now." Hermione said to the two of them. "Personally I'm impressed that this is how Ron decided to distract her." The girl said as she watched the two of them.
The three of them joined the crowed of Gryffindors that were watching the pair. Ron had gained the reputation as being nearly unbeatable. Kitty herself also had been rising in the ranks as a person that was a difficult person to play the fact that the two of them were watching each move that they made carefully showed just how much of a challenge that each of them saw each other as. "Got to admit that the wizarding world is just weird sometimes." Peter commented as they took their own seats. "I mean really, the most interesting thing to do here is to watch a couple of people go at it with a chessboard."
"That's because a lot of people want to see Ron loose mate." A sixth year explained to them. "Weasley is a tad bit bigheaded when it comes to the chess board just about everyone has fallen to him and almost no one has been able to defeat him. A lot of people just want a chance to see him get knocked down or brought to a draw."
"Ron's more than earned the right to be a tad bigheaded when it comes to chess though." Harry argued at the 6th year in defense of his friend.
" Its nothing personal against him Potter, he has earned the right I suppose he just takes it a bit to far sometimes." The other kid said uncomfortably shrugging a bit. "Your friend has a habit of rubbing things in peoples noses he does."
Harry and Hermione opened and shut their mouth a few times as if searching for something to say in the defense of their friend but were unable to come up with anything. "Sometimes the best loyalty is just backing the git up." Katie told the two before they said anything that might anger one of her year mates though she had to admit had someone said that about one of her friends she would probably have defended them. Everyone watched as slowly but surely the game ended in a tie a few hours later. Ron was a bit surprised that he hadn't won but had grudgingly accepted the draw though his ears did burn a bit at the heckling that the twins were giving him.
Peter grinned a bit as Harry introduced the Defenders to the new training room for the room of requirement. Ron had gleefully watched as Michael Corner and his friends failed the course unable to get past the statue. The twins had done well using some of their creations to help them pass some of the obstacles that were in their way. At its current settings though no one was able to pass the obstacles. Peter and Kitty because they limited themselves to only using magic while the others were unused to the type of activity that was required for that sort of exercise. The hopes were that everyone would be able to pass the first and maybe the second levels before the Christmas holidays though.
Peter smiled in greetings to Harry as he saw the dustbin full of various Christmas decorations as he trailed in behind Luna. He was tempted to just laugh at the boy but didn't really want to test the other boy's ability to cast hexes and curses at him considering the red to his cheeks meant that he was plenty embarrassed without his help. "I see that you're having a bit of trouble getting into the mood Harry. Course it could just be the decorations that you're using to." He added as an afterthought.
"One more word out of you and we'll see just how many of my shots you can dance out of the way of." Harry growled out in annoyance as he watched the boy through eyes that promised retaliation if he didn't drop it. Peter grinned at the boy and raised his hands in a sarcastic mock surrender.
"They are very pretty." Luna said as she eyed the decorations with interest. "Just who made them anyways?"
"Crazy house elf named Dobby." Harry muttered with red cheeks.
The girl nodded barely listening to him. "Oh look, mistletoe." She commented dreamily causing both boys to jump from where they were standing before they noticed it overhead.
"Smart move." The girl said in agreement, "they're supposed to be infested with nargles." The two boys exchanged disbelieving looks, but didn't say anything not wanting to insult one of the few people that knew where the D.A was meeting and believed that Voldemort was back. It could cause problems for them all if a member of the group was feeling picked upon here.
"So um, Pete, mate. You mind helping me finish getting the rest of these things packed up before anyone else shows up?" Harry asked the American hopefully.
"Sure." Peter said shaking his head as the two boys began to remove the elf made creations. Peter held up a glass ball with Harry's face saying 'Have A Harry Christmas' "You know, with the way that some witches and wizards love you I bet you could sell these things for a pretty good sum." He mused to the dark haired boy.
"Don't even start it." Harry growled at the boy. "I have enough to do with money making schemes with the twins. I really don't want to have to deal with you as well. Tell you what though I'll make you a deal. If you do it then I'll set Hermione loose on you."
"Good to see that you got a girl that is willing to back you up no matter what." Peter said with a faraway look in his eyes. "Don't ever forget her cause you may never know when it will be the time that your last see her." Peter shook his head as he remembered where it was that he was. "Sorry got a little lost in memory." He said as he stuffed the last of the decorations in the trashcan.
Harry nodded in understanding, but considered what it was that Peter had said. Hermione had always been the one to support him and back him up no matter what. His best friend had always been there to support him no matter what it was that the rest of the school was doing. Ron was a bit of a fickle friend at times when it came to public opinion and no one else had ever really bothered getting close enough to him to get to know him. When he thought about it more he realized that it was usually him and Hermione against whatever it was. Sure Ron gave them some moral support, but it usually came down to the two of them in the end.
Harry was broken out of his thoughts when others started showing up. Harry and the other members of the unofficial Gryffindor team talked a bit about the last practice that they had and when they would try to challenge their first team. After a few minutes everyone had arrived and they could get started though. The class was mainly review and a chance to work on things like accuracy. The two Americans enjoyed the relatively easy combat scenarios that they were in. "Hey Harry how about you and me do a little bit of one on one?" Peter asked with a grin. "See just how good you really are and all that."
Harry shrugged sure "I guess no problem." The green eyed boy muttered. At this there was a handful of cheers came out and Hermione took control of the room which changed from a Training Room/ Obstacle Course to the training room that they had used before Kitty had managed to create the new room.
The two boys met in the center and bowed at each other before they each drew their wands. Peter ducked as Harry sent off a spell faster than he could. The disarming spell flew harmlessly over his head followed by a stunner. Peter finally managed to return fire with an impedimenta spell which Harry just as easily duck. Harry returned fire by shooting a tripping jinx. Peter cartwheeled out of the way of that spell only to be hit by a stinging hex as he landed. Peter fired a couple of stunners of his own to keep Harry moving and then shot a animation charm at Harry's tie causing it to slap the Gryffindor in the face as if it were a wiggling fish. Harry returned that one with a transfiguration spell that caused Peter's Hogwarts robes to seal shut trapping the other boy. Harry shot another disarming spell ending the duel.
The two boys grinned at each other both a bit red faced. Kitty tossed Peter his wand while Hermione helped the both of them to disable some of the changes that they had wrought on each other. The twins chuckled a bit but they were also both taking notes on the effects that the spells had on both boys. Harry smiled at Hermione as his tie finally stopped trying to slap him silly. He adjusted the tie before he looked over at Peter. "Prank spells?" He questioned curiously.
"I needed something to distract you." Peter said shrugging. "I already knew that you were a better dueler while I had a bit of advantage when it comes to speed and maneuverability. I was hoping to catch you while you were distracted and then catch you with something. That little bit of transfiguration at the end caught me by surprise though. I'll be ready for it next time." Everyone nodded it was well known that Harry knew more curses and jinxes than some 7th years however Peter was physically fitter than just about everybody else, and was well versed in gymnastics that allowed him to almost casually dodge spell fire somehow.
Harry grinned a bit sheepishly at this. "I guess I owe you another one for teaching me that spell Hermione." Harry said flashing a grin at his friend.
Hermione blushed at this and looked at her feet so she missed seeing the twin scowls of Cho and Ginny. Kitty frowned at the pair wondering what the two were thinking. Did the pair really think that they had a chance with Strange junior if they got mad at his best friend whenever he praised her? Not to mention what kind of potential girlfriend was so open about disliking the competition? When Alistair had lusted after Ray instead of looking at her she hadn't let it affect her own friendship with Ray all that much and had kept her annoyance as private as she could. Well as private as one could when living with empathic and a telepathic teammates that is. She mused to herself. Even so though she had rarely sent glares like that at Ray like Ginny was to Hermione.
The others got together and began to duel each other with varying results. Soon their time was at an end and a grinning Harry dismissed them. As they were finishing up Peter noted that the oriental girl was waiting on Harry. Sighing the boy grinned at the other boy before he quickly exited and ran into Hermione and Kitty. "Kitty. Err hi." He said, wondering why the two were waiting here in the hallway.
"Hey." Kitty said with a smile. "Think you can help Hermione here with something?"
"Maybe." Peter said wondering what it was that his friends needed.
"Well Hermione here just wants to know just what it might take to get Harry boy there to sit up and notice her as a girl."
Peter swallowed nervously. This had so much bad potential particularly if the girl decided to go in there after they were done talking. Hermione was his friend sort of though and he would tell her what she wanted. "Stand up to him." Peter told her. "You want him to notice you then stand up to him. Show him that his crush on Chang is just that a crush. Right now they're both in there." He admitted, jerking his thumb over his shoulder down the hallway. "However what that girl needs isn't a new boyfriend what she needs is a guidance or at least a grief councilor would be even better though."
"Pot and Kettle." Kitty said looking Peter in the eyes.
The teen sighed a bit at this. "Why do I have a feeling you have something set up for when we see the others?"
Kitty smiled sweetly at him. "I have no idea Petey." She said in an innocent voice that didn't fool him.
"Great." Peter said rolling his eyes before turning back to an amused looking Hermione. "Personally I think that any guy that she goes with right now is going to be in for a heap of trouble. My advice is to be there for him when this little dating game that those two are playing blows up in their faces. We'll worry about that later. Although I do have to say that if you want to get him to notice you as well a girl then asking me is not the best way to ask. However since you did I'll tell you now stop treating him like your brother or best friend let him know that he really is important to you in more ways than he knows."
"He may be a guy but he has a point." Kitty said as she eyed Hermione up and down a few times. "With a bit of work we could make you one of the better looking girls. Only if you want to though of course." The girl told her friend. "So what's it going to be? Are you going to take a chance and let yourself change a bit for him?"
"I don't know. I don't want to change just for a boy and well." Hermione said reluctantly.
"Understandable," Kitty said, "however you catch more bees with honey and all that right?" She asked. "How about we meet at a beauty salon during the holidays and we get some makeovers?" She offered. Hermione looked unconvinced. "Come on trust me on this one. Sometimes you just have to hit the guy you like with the obvious because he's to wrapped up in his own thoughts." Kitty pressed her. "Besides what's it going to hurt if you get yourself a makeover? I've seen those photos from last years ball so we all know that you got it in there. Anyways I'm not talking about something that will only last one night or something and will take anywhere from one to two hours to make yourself presentable just something to give you a little bit of control. Nothing wrong with that right?"
Hermione sighed before she nodded her head in agreement. "This had better work though." The girl said blushing.
They were interrupted as Cho came rushing out wiping her face as a small amount of tears tried to slip past her face. The group waited patiently and moments later a confused and dazed looking Harry wandered out of the Room of Requirement. He blinked at them in surprise obviously not expecting anyone to wait for him. Walking as a group was particularly dangerous thing to do these days thanks to Umbridge's sanctioned clubs only rule. "Um." He said awkwardly, as he faced them. He had planned on wandering the halls for a while, or at least taking one of the longer routes back to the Gryffindor tower till he could wrap his head somewhat around what had just happened with him and Cho.
"Hey man." Peter greeted him. "Didn't go quiet the way that you had hoped I take it?" He asked the other boy sympathetically.
"Yeah." Harry said glumly as he fell into step with the others. "She did kiss me though." He added in confusion.
"Really, and how was it?" Peter asked uncertainly, pretending not to notice Hermione biting her lip or Kitty sending him minor glares.
"Wet." Harry returned.
"Wet?" Peter asked in confusion never having heard of a kiss being described like that. He supposed that the Ravenclaw could be one of the sloppy kissing types and that was the best way that Harry could say it. Although a sloppy kisser hardly seemed to fit the type that Chang presented herself as. Still one could never tell these things sometimes. "What, she go to fast or something for you?" He teased.
"No. Wet as in she started crying and all about Cedric." Harry explained.
"Ah that does put a bit of a dampener on it I suppose." Peter said. "Kind of an ego smasher to though if you think that she's thinking about some other guy while she's kissing you though."
"Yeah." A depressed Harry said, as he seemed to shrink in on himself. "I must be one of the worst kissers ever." He mumbled to himself.
"I hardly think that's the case here." Kitty said dismissing his concerns. "I mean if a person used the fact that their first kiss isn't as great as they thought it might be things would be a lot more difficult in the romance game."
"You really think so?" Harry asked uncertainly.
"I know so." Kitty said confidently. "Don't you agree Hermione?"
"Of course, I highly doubt that you're really that bad at it Harry. It may also be because that she's feeling guilty because of Cedric and everything else."
"Cedric?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Yeah, what does he have to do with any of this?" Peter said in agreement.
"Boys." The two girls huffed, while rolling their eyes at the pair.
"Hey! We resemble that remark." Peter joked. "So, what basic fundamental fact or facts of life have we gone and neglected that you two girls have noticed that we oblivious boys need to be made aware of?"
"Do you think that we should tell them or wait and see if they can figure it out themselves?" Kitty asked Hermione in a sweet voice.
Hermione smiled at her friend. "We might as well tell them now, otherwise they'll be bothering us every few minutes for the answer. I think that we should just both be thankful that we aren't having to explain all of these things to Ron he has the emotional depth of a teaspoon." Hermione curled her nose up at the thought of trying to explain something like this to Ron.
"So, are you going to explain to us what it is that we are missing then Mione?" Harry asked with interest.
"Its really quiet simple actually Harry, Cho is obviously still grieving because of Cedric's death."
"Yeah, they say that it's good for you to grieve instead of trying to bottle it all up inside of you." Kitty added while the girls gave each of their friends a knowing look. The two boys shuffled under their stares, but didn't say anything.
Hermione absently nodded her head in agreement. "Then there is also the matter of her likely feeling a bit of confusion over liking Harry when she originally liked Cedric."
"She seems to be getting over him fairly quickly if you ask me." Peter said sourly. "Particularly if she's already kissing another guy. Not that you're probably not a good catch and all that." Peter amended quickly as he looked over at Harry. "It just seems kind of fast to me is all."
Harry nodded his head in understanding. He was quiet at this though. He had respected Cedric as a person quiet a bit before near the end of the tournament. The fact that he might be in some way dishonoring the Huffelpuff's memory did not sit very well with him.
"Not everyone manages to have the same relationship as you did with your girl though Peter." Kitty was quick to point out to her friend. Harry and Hermione listened eagerly as Peter almost never talked of his ex and Kitty had only mentioned her a few times.
"Cho may actually be feeling as if she is ignoring or abusing Cedric's memory because she did kiss Harry." Hermione said as she thought the subject out some more.
"And lets not forget what the gossip mill will make of the two of you making eyes at each other." Kitty said
"Forget the gossip mill, think about what the Daily Prophet will do if they decide to use that as a story angle." Hermione said with disgust.
"Ouch." Peter said wincing in sympathy at the other boy. "I am so glad I am not a well known figure like you right now."
"What do you mean? What does the Prophet have to do with any of this?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Oh honestly Harry. Didn't you learn a single thing when you were dealing with the press last year during the tournament? Do you not remember when Skeeter was making up all of those nasty stories about you?" Hermione questioned him.
"Of course I remember it." Harry argued. "Not that it's all that much different than this year though." He added shrugging a bit. "Only difference is that there are a whole lot more against me this time around."
"Well then I suppose then that you remember that article in Witches Weekly about you Victor and I then?" Hermione questioned with a glare.
"Kind of hard to forget since Snape thought that it would be fun to read the whole blasted thing in class so that everyone there could hear it." Harry shot off.
"Yeah, well the point that I think that she's getting at Harry that is if your not careful in your dealings with Cho there could be a nice article about how you arranged to have Diggory killed so that you could have a shot at his girl." Peter said. "I can see it all now." He added and held his hands up as if he was envisioning the print. "Green-Eyed Savior? Next to it will be a long and sordid article on your jealous rages against Cedric and how you were determined to get the better of him since he beat you at that one game. The best way you could come with getting even with him though was to kill him and steal his girl. Am I getting warm?" He asked the girls who nodded in agreement.
"Yes you are." Hermione said solemnly. "As a matter of fact, I am quiet surprised that they haven't gone and used that particular theory yet in their attempts to make Harry look like some sort of monster. I wouldn't be surprised if Skeeter would have been able to come up with that particular scenario. It's probably just as well that we are currently blackmailing her, or she would have been all over this from this angle."
"Possibly." Kitty said doubtfully. "However I don't think that the Ministry would have wanted something like that to become an article in the Prophet. If you'll remember, the official story that Umbridge gave out to everyone about what happened to Cedric was that he died in an accident."
"Good point, it would also explain why no one is going to make a stab at that particular method of destroying Harry's reputation with the various bits of news that they're running."
Peter snorted at this. "The Prophet does not run news, they run crackpot theories and half thought out opinions that counter each other as much as they work together. The entire paper is like reading a tabloid or the Editorials for the Daily Bugle when they are hating Spiderman back at home. The only difference that I see here is that they don't have anybody like Robbie to counteract their methods and stand up to them."
"Not that we know of anyways." Hermione pointed out to them logically. "For all we know, anyone that did try and counteract the current behavior quickly found themselves without a job." Peter grunted in agreement at this.
"So, what you three are saying is that I should be really careful with how I treat Cho then?" Harry questioned them uncertainly.
"Sounds like what the girls are saying."
"Precisely."
"Right."
"Any other things about her that you think that I should know about then?"
"Lets see." Hermione said as she began ticking items off on her fingers. "We mentioned feeling sad for Cedric and the fact that she now likes Harry."
"Did we mention feeling confused over which of the two of them that she may or may not like more or less?" Kitty asked her.
"I don't think so." Hermione admitted adding another finger to her list of items.
"Well we mentioned it now then."
"True. There is also the guilt for kissing Harry and how she may feel that she is abusing or insulting Cedric's memory by kissing Harry. The pain that she now has to deal with when it comes to dealing with the Hogwarts Harry Potter gossip mill and possibly the Prophet."
"There's also the fact that she's on the verge of loosing her spot on the Quidditch team because she hasn't been as committed to the team as much lately."
"Yes, unfortunately that just adds more things for her to worry and weigh her down than she already currently is."
Peter whistled softly as the girls finally stopped. "You really know how to pick them don't you Harry? He asked only half seriously.
"But she came at me though." Harry said in confusion "If it was going to cause all of those problems why would she have done it? I mean if I had known that it would some of these problems for her. I mean really, one minute she was crying on me the next she was kissing me and I thought that's what she wanted and then she just made a run for it. I was."
"Just confused and trying to do things right?" Peter asked in understanding, getting a relieved nod from Harry that at least someone understood what it was that he was talking about.
"We're not saying that you did anything wrong Harry." Hermione comforted him. "All you had to do was be nice though. Please tell me that you were nice to her and didn't shrug her off because you were scared or didn't know what to do."
Harry swallowed at the penetrating stares that the two girls were giving him. "Err, I patted her on the back does that count?"
The girls huffed and shook their heads in disbelief at this. Hermione looked her friend in the eyes. "So, when are you going to see her again or did you mess that part up as well?"
"Next time I see her will probably be the next meeting I suppose." Harry said shrugging. "She kind of ran out before I could say anything." He defended, at the looks that the girls sent at him.
"It's a start I suppose". Hermione muttered, though she looked far from happy about it. "Just try and be considerate of her feelings Harry. I really don't fancy having to defend you all the time over something like this."
Peter grinned at them all. "Personally I think we should see whether or not Harry here is a good kisser or not. If he is then we can fix that little problem if it needs work."
"Really? And just how do you propose that we do that?" Kitty mocked at her teammate. She had a bit of an idea where Peter was going with this but wanted him to say it though and hoped that it didn't blow up in their faces. She also noticed that this grin almost reached his eyes.
"Simple really." Peter said, his grin stretching even wider though it failed to come any closer to his eyes. "All we have to do is have one or both of you girls here kiss Harry here. If it makes you feel better we can have a box of tissues on hand if they need them though." He added to Harry with a wink.
"You don't have to." Harry stuttered at the girls as he turned a nice shade of red. "I wouldn't want to embarrass either of you."
"No offense there Harry, but I hardly think that kissing you is going to be enough to embarrass me." Kitty told the boy with a grin. "It is for a good cause anyways, of course if Hermione here doesn't think that we both need to do it."
"Um, well." Hermione said, unprepared for the way the conversation had suddenly turned from Cho to the possibility of getting a kiss from Harry. She was also having a hard time deciding what she wanted. While a part of her really wanted to kiss Harry, another part only wanted to be kissed by Harry if he actually meant something behind the kiss. Her mind was a blur as she thought out the possibilities that kissing Harry could mean. On the one hand it would hopefully allow Harry to realize that she was a girl and why they had different dorms and see her in a whole new light. On the other hand it might also show her that the two of them had absolutely no chemistry whatsoever. It could be the painful end to a dream, or a painful reminder of what she couldn't have. She was pretty sure that any kiss that she gave wasn't likely to change the mind of her friend on the Ravenclaw, but it might remind him that she was here and let Harry know that there were other girls besides Cho Chang. "Lets do this then." She ordered in anticipation and resignation.
Kitty smiled at the other girl before she sauntered over to the hero of the wizarding world. Kitty had to contain her mirth as she saw that Harry was trying his best to hide his terror at what was about to happen to him. You would think that she was Magneto the way he was looking so pale. She mused to herself as she gave him a light peck on the lips. Kitty stared at him for a minute before making a big deal about looking into a small mirror. "Hey look. No tears!" She said with a grin before she went to stand next to Peter and giving Hermione a look.
The bookworm nodded, and slowly but surely walked toward the person that she fancied and happened to be her best friend for four and half years give or take a month or two. The two red faced teens looked at each other uncomfortably. "Lets not tell Ron agreed." She said meekly.
"Agreed." Harry said nodding.
The two leaned forward and awkwardly kissed each other. The two of them broke apart and quickly parted. The kiss had been longer than the one Kitty had given, but was by no means a long drawn out kiss. Harry had a confused and thoughtful look on his face while Hermione had a hopeful and expectant look on her face. Hermione looked at her friend and traced her hands around her eyes. "No tears." She whispered before she sped off leaving a confused Harry standing in her wake.
"Um, I need to go and ah think about some girl, err things. Later." Harry said before he disappeared down another way leaving the two amused Americans.
The two heroes waited for a few moments as they watched the pair disappear. Peter had a satisfied smirk on his face while Kitty had a worried look on hers. "Are you sure that was such a great idea?" Kitty asked him hesitantly. "The idea was to get them closer, not push them apart."
"Hey, you were the one that wanted to help her out." Peter pointed out to her. "My way was just a bit more blunt than yours. I mean if I could have I might have transfigured her clothes into a bikini while they kissed, but all three of you would have likely tried to kill me for doing something like that. Its also a lot better than your subtle way of trying to let him see that she could be more by waiting until after the holidays and trying new hair and clothes."
"Your right I would have killed you." Kitty growled at him in a disturbingly good imitation of Wolverine. "Do you really think that your way is all that much better though? You're practically throwing her at him."
"Hey you're the ones that wanted my male help."
"Maybe, but can you try to be a little less blunt next time though?"
"I'll try. No promises on it." Peter said with a smile. "I have to wonder though, do you really think that our purpose here is to give romantic help to those two though?"
"Probably not," Kitty admitted, "but you know better than anyone what it means to have someone to fight for. Why should they be any different?" Kitty pointed out to him.
"Good point." He conceded to her.
"Glad to see you understand that I'm right." Kitty said with a grin. She then surprised them both by leaning over and kissed him on the cheek.
Peter flinched a bit at the contact from the girl. He looked apologetically at the girl. "Sorry Kitty, its not you its me. I mean you're a great gal and all but."
"Hey I understand." Kitty said with a sad smile waving his excuses off. "Anyways you really think that I want to start a relationship here and now? Look around you buddy we're in a place that doesn't exactly make either of us feel all that comfortable." Neither of the pair mentioned that their entire super hero careers they spent more time hated than they did anything else.
"You have a good point." Peter said with a tired grin. "Shall we go to the common room, or should we see if we can find those two and make sure that they stay out of trouble?"
"Common room sounds good to me, there doesn't seem to be anyway that either of them can get into to much trouble right now. Also if they were to notice us they would probably be mad."
"All right just stop tempting karma by saying there's not much that can happen to them though. Harry seems to have karma like ours to make things difficult for him."
"Good point." Kitty said nodding. The two slipped into the common room and hung around with other students for a half hour before the two confused friends finally returned. The Americans watched as the two long time friends were extremely careful around each other. Harry nervously told Ron about his encounter with Cho leaving out pretty much all of the conversation that he had held with the others except to mention that he and Hermione had talked a bit already. Ron had nodded and gave his friend a sympathetic ear as he listened to the tale of his friend making a few snide remarks about Cho being a crazy bint, earning more than a few death glares from the other various girls in the room.
The drama of playing matchmaker over for the night Peter gratefully went to sleep. His mind was a bit confused though as he considered what it might mean since Kitty had given him that slight peck on the cheek. A few conflicting images and thoughts tore at his mind, as he compared Kitty and M.J together. Each of the two girls had certain things that he admired them for, but M.J would always be his girl he thought as he closed his eyes to sleep.
Harry unlike Peter and the rest of his year mates was having quiet a bit more trouble getting to sleep that night. On the one hand he was on cloud 9 after being kissed by three very pretty girls. He had kept his promise of not telling Ron by simply not telling about the girls little test. On the other hand though that small kiss with Hermione had left him feeling extremely confused, more so than the one with Cho had.
Harry struggled with sleep as the thoughts of the two girls kept him up. Cho was a girl he had been crushing on for nearly three years now. She was also the former girlfriend to a person he respected a lot though, something that he hadn't really thought a lot about before now. Now he had to add in thoughts of Hermione, a person that he deeply respected and cared for as a friend in some all new ways that e had never ever really considered before and that actually kind of bothered him. Sure he knew Hermione better than he knew Cho. Merlin, he probably knew Hermione better than most people in the wizard world did. Add in the fact that she probably knew him better than anyone in the world he would be willing to bet she knew him better than Dumbledore even. No matter what the headmaster seemed to believe otherwise. That kiss had started a number of problems though, and he wondered just how far reaching that they might be.
A troubled Harry finally nodded off to sleep long after everyone else was asleep. So great was his confusion that he forgot to imagine Hogwarts as a defensive wall to protect his mind from the images that sometimes plagued his dreams. He began dreaming, on one side of him was Cho crying angrily and saying something about Cedric and Chocolate frogs. On the other side of him was Hermione who was surrounded by various books and talking about pros and cons for various things. Both girls were dressed in their Yule Ball dresses of all things for some reason that Harry couldn't quiet figure out. Just as the dream was getting really confusing the images changed to a scene that kept fading in and out of focus as if something was blocking what he was trying to see. He was a creature that was slithering along on his belly there was a man nearby who was lightly dozing in a corner nearly completely oblivious to his presence. The figure sat up noticing him drawing his wand from his robe. Harry the creature bared his fangs, and let out a nasty hiss before he lunged. The bite was swift and sure on the figure whom crumpled helplessly as he pulled back and looked over his work with satisfaction. Harry got one more distorted look at the figure before the image faded out.
"No!" Harry shouted, as he woke up from the dreams. One hand clutched at his scar while his other hand began feeling around his face and mouth for scales and fangs. Ron, Peter and Neville hung over his bed in worry Peter was actually holding his legs while Neville was rubbing his jaw where a dark colored bruise was slowly forming.
"I-I'll go and get help." Neville stuttered, before making a dash out of the room.
Harry didn't even notice the boy as he looked at his friend. "Ron, your dad, he's hurt there was blood everywhere." He rasped out as he finally removed his hands from his face.
"Harry, mate you were just dreaming." Ron said desperately looking at his friend hopefully.
"No way." Harry argued at his friend. "I was there, I saw it all." He noticed that Peter had finally released his legs now that he was coherent and he tried to get out of bed. Ron stopped him by casually pushed his friend back onto the bed and Peter took apposition on the other side of the to keep him from slipping off on that side. They all waited till McGonagall appeared at the doorway of their room.
McGonagall looked at the teens in the room but focused her attention primarily on Harry. "What happened? Where are you hurting Potter?" She asked in a tone of concern that caught Harry a bit by surprise.
"No offense professor, but Harry here is displaying all the classics signs of a psychic attack or vision. I bet the only place that hurts is his head." Kitty said knowledgably from where she was standing in the hall with a lot of other students.
"Quiet Pryde." The professor snapped over her shoulder at the American.
"Its Ron's dad professor." Harry told the woman. "He was attacked by a snake. I saw it happen."
McGonagall lips thinned at this. "What do you mean you saw it happen Potter?"
"I don't know I was sleeping and I saw it." Harry told the woman.
"A dream then? All this mess over a dream?" Someone said snorting in amusement from the hallway.
"No." Harry said with a dark scowled aimed at the doorway. "I mean I was dreaming and then it changed. It was real honest professor I didn't imagine it. Mr. Weasley was sleeping, and then he got in a fight with some kind of snake and was bitten, and there was lots of blood." Harry looked at McGonagall and saw that she was eyeing him oddly. "I'm not lying, and I'm not mad." Harry yelled at the woman.
McGonagall frowned at her student. "I never said or hinted that I thought you were Potter as a matter of fact I believe you. Do try and reign in that temper of yours though. Grab your robe Potter, I think we need to talk to the headmaster." Harry nodded and grabbed his robe and followed after the teacher.
Peter, Kitty, Ron and Hermione followed along with everyone else to the common room where a quarter of the Gryffindors were waiting anxiously for news on what was going on. Ron joined his family and the Quidditch team while the others found a corner to sit and wait. "Come on." Kitty told Peter anxiously. "We need to run interference before we have trouble from the pain in the castle."
Peter smiled and nodded up at her, his eyes, which had been alert already despite the few hours of sleep he had now narrowed in a planning motion that Hermione had come to recognize. "What do you mean?" The witch questioned the pair nervously. "We need to stay here and get everyone back to bed. Not go chasing after Harry and professor McGonagall. Harry will probably want to talk to us after everything anyways." She said nodding her head in understanding to herself.
"Like any of the Weasley's are going to listen to you when there dad may or may not be bleeding to death?" Peter queried Hermione, while he and Kitty disappeared upstairs and grabbed a couple of bags in the bottom of their trunks. "You do what you need to, to keep everyone cool but you know that Umbridge will find out about Harry visiting the headmaster somehow. We need to slow her down until they do whatever it is that they need to though."
"And how do you intend to slip past all of the students out there?" Hermione questioned them waving to the nearly full common room.
"Don't worry I have a way of slipping out." Kitty said with a confident smile.
"I should probably try and stop you." Hermione fretted at them.
"Would it help if we promised that we don't plan on following after Harry, just keeping her toadship out of the way so Dumbledore can talk to Harry?"
"Well I suppose." Hermione said. "Wouldn't it help if you took the twins for something like that though."
Peter shook his head. "Their heads aren't in the game right now. They'll likely to be sloppy, besides we don't want to be caught. They're more likely to blow something up instead of keeping things on the quiet side."
"If you need a diversion then they're the ones to call, but if you need a annoyance then Peter here is the one that you want to help you out." Kitty said as she checked something in her bag.
Hermione nodded and walked away drawing attention to herself as she tried to get everyone upstairs. Peter gripped Kitty's hand and the two sank beneath the floor and appeared on the floor beneath them. The two quickly made their way toward the nearest door and headed for Umbridge's quarters. As they went they stopped for a moment and changed into their costumes. Peter created a web cocoon and stored their nightclothes and robes inside, and stuck the bundle on the ceiling. The pair got themselves prepared outside of Umbridge's office and waited; they were joined a few moments later when a bird appeared in a small ball of flame. The bird cocked its head at the pair of masked figures before turning to the door. The three watchers waited patiently as a few minutes later the door opened and Umbridge waddled out unaware that near the ceiling three figures were watching her. The Phoenix plucked a feather off its body and flamed it to the headmaster. The two masked figures ignored the bird as they focused on the High Inquisitor. Umbridge waddled on unaware of the two shadows tailing her
Spiderman nodded to Shadowcat before he jumped to the ground and fired a web line at the woman's back and jerked the woman back. The witch came flying back at him and Spiderman leaped into the air and latched onto the ceiling to avoid being hit by her. The woman slammed into a old tapestry and slid down to the ground. Shadowcat threw several throwing stars that snapped the ropes holding the tapestry causing the flag to fall on the witch. The two disappeared further into the shadows and waited as the woman finally managed to get the old flag off of her. She raised her wand and looked around but found no one around. Muttering under her breath the woman moved along the hallway. Umbridge went down another set of stair and froze at what she saw. The entire hallway was covered in a odd silky white substance that had a similar look to that of Unicorn hair. At the far end of the hall she could see a shadowy figure holding a sword of some sort through the strands of the odd ropes that were hanging from all over the place. The witch considered going another way but looked behind her and saw two large bat-like creatures gliding her way.
The witch scowled before turning to the unknown. "I am Under Sectary Delores Umbridge of the Ministry of Magic, High Inquisitor, and professor of Hogwarts. As such I order you to vacate this castle at once and never return." The woman shrilled at the unknown.
The figure said nothing and merely twirled its sword a few more times and waited. Several of the strands seemed to pass through the figure. The Ministry woman glared and hesitantly began taking several cautious steps forward. Her spells sliced through the ropes, and she quickly learned not to step in the muck like substance that was all over the place as it held her in place for a few minutes before she finally managed to get it all off of her. When she finally reached the spot the spirit was she had a pleased smile on her face as she watched the unknown was gone. She growled in frustration, as she had never gotten a good look at the spirit that had tried to stop her.
She took several more steps when suddenly she was grabbed by the ankles and hauled down. The Ministry witch gave a startled cry, and dropped her wand. It became dark and then light in a matter of moments, she looked over at the two that had her. One was dressed in a gray outfit with slits in the eye while the other was dressed in some odd outfit that looked like nothing she had ever seen. One had a male form while the other had a female form. The two also screamed danger as if they were made for danger. The male figure turned toward her and stretched its arm out and made a gesture with his hands and the unknown silky substance shot out of the hand and tied her up. The two figures then turned and seemed to leap toward the ceiling and disappeared through the wall. Umbridge struggled against the bindings but was unable as the ropes seemed to be made of something extremely powerful and she was a prisoner here since she no longer had her wand and the figure had gagged her mouth making it impossible for her to call for help.
Peter and Kitty grinned at each other as they pulled their masks off. True they hadn't done much to the foul woman, but it had been therapeutic to do what they had done. "That should slow her down a bit." Shadowcat said smiling at the memory of the fallen figure of the Toad's relative. Lockheed came around the corner, the web bats still connected to his ankles. "You can get rid of those now baby. She told the dragon, who happily snorted a ball of fire at the bats turning them to crisp before he landed on her shoulders.
"Yeah, come on we need to get out of here before Filch finds her and she tries to put things together though." Spiderman told his partner. "There's no telling just what it is that she'll think we are or what she'll do to try and find us." Shadowcat nodded in agreement as the pair slipped their masks back on and headed back the way that they had come.
Peter and Kitty slipped through a window their costumes returned to their bags. Neither of them were trusting of Shadowcat's phasing powers and Spiderman's spider sense in case someone was watching them. A broom in Peter's hands as they slipped in through the window was far easier to explain than if they were seen slipping up through the floor. They looked up to see a curious Hermione sitting there waiting for them.
"Well?" The witch asked impatiently.
"Umbridge got tied up with other things." Peter said with a grin.
"Yeah, and as it was we nearly sent her batty." Kitty added smugly. "She's probably still stuck on the floor we left her on. Hopefuly we bought Harry and Dumbledore enough time."
I suppose so. Hermione said. Professor McGonagall came by earlier and took the Weasley's with her. They were all in the Headmasters office the last I checked." She said nodding to the Marauders Map that was lying on a table. She glanced at it again and frowned as she examined the parchment. "That's impossible they're all gone". The witch said, as her eyes ran up and down the map desperately trying to find where her friends were.
"Whatever happened I'm sure the staff know about it." Kitty told the other girl.
"Really?"
"Yeah sure. They were in the headmaster's office right? I'm sure that he saw them all leave then."
"I suppose so." Hermione said nodding her head reluctantly. "I would have preferred to know something before hand though."
"Sometimes you can't though. Sometimes you got to take a backseat and let someone else do the whole hero thing." Peter said with an experienced voice. "You can't be everywhere no matter how hard you try. That's why a team like the one you, Ron and Harry got is important to have." He told her intently.
"Now if only you could bother listening to your own advice." Kitty muttered under her breath while shooting a look at Peter. "Besides something tells me that the two of you are going to need a bit of time away from Harry for a bit anyways." Kitty told the other girl with a smile.
Hermione nodded her cheeks turning slightly red. "Fine. I'll leave it for tonight. I do have questions for the two of you tomorrow though, and I will expect some answers." The pair winced and nodded at this wondering just what it was that they were about to be questioned about this time and whether or not there was a way for them to get out of it or not.
Well folks there you go amazing what 4 days without any internet or my guitar will help me to come up with. I actually have about half the next chapter written may focus on that one instead of switching to Maone of my other stories like I planned.