Chapter Five "Hold Me in Your Arms"
Disclaimer: The Character's and Story Plot of the Harry Potter franchise do NOT belong to me, I am just one of the many privileged enough to write J.K Rowling's marvelous novel series.
In the history of Hogwarts on one hand could a person count the times the Great Hall ever falling so quiet in a state of shock and surprise, this was one of those times. Silence, complete and utter silence filled the grand congregation of magical students, their eyes locked on the back of one, Harry Potter.
"'Mione, love? Have I gone barmy, or is that Harry?" Ron' mumbled as he blinked dumbly in the direction his old mate sat.
Staring in the same direction as her boyfriend, Hermione absentmindedly fumbled her hand over to his arm and delivered a sharp pinch.
"Ouch!" Ron' yelped, his arm yanking away from the vice grip of her two fingers. "What was that bloody for?"
"Pinch you if you're dreaming, it's a muggle expression I suppose," Hermione mumbled in reply, with great effort she tore her vision from Harry and disregarded Ron's displeasing growls as she looked to Ginny.
In return, Ginny paid Hermione no mind. Her heart was racing in her chest, her mouth had dried up any remnants of saliva and her eyes were glued to what she could make out of Harry down the table. She was lost for words and any coherent thoughts for that matter.
"Ginny?" Hermione asked, her attention fully upon the flustered auburn haired girl beside her.
"Hmm?" hummed Ginny, her eyes batted at Harry before they snapped to lock with Hermione's.
"Are you alright?"
Void of any audible response, Ginny bounced her head up and down, in all honesty she was lost. He was back, he was here and at the same time he seemed so further away than he actually was.
Wasn't this something she'd been hoping for? Wasn't Harry being back supposed to be a good thing, if that were true, why was it that everything in her body felt so off? Why did he sit so far away, why didn't he seem to pay her or his mates any sort of mind? Sadly, Ginny's thoughts were cut off by the piercing voice of Minerva McGonagall.
"ATTENTION STUDENTS!" McGonagall snapped, her wand at her throat as she had previously casted the loud charm. "Despite the current disruption we have a few announcement to get through before beginning the feast."
Grudgingly the mass of Hogwarts students tore their vision from Harry and turned it onto the Headmistress who stood at the front of the hall with a very stern expression.
"Thank you all, we will begin by announcing some new Professors who will be joining our faculty this year," McGonagall announced, her eyes raking over each and every House table to ensure she had their rapt focus. "Graciously, former Hogwarts alumni, Oliver Wood has accepted the position of professor of transfiguration and Head of Gryffindor House as I attend to the duties of Headmistress. Please stand and present yourself, Professor Wood."
In a rather swift motion from sitting to standing, the former Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and Puddlemere United Keeper got to his feet and gave a slow wave to the assembled student body before sinking back down into his seat. Before McGonagall could resume her speech several swooning witches let out a sigh at Hogwarts new chiselled transfiguration professor.
Clearing her throat, Headmistress McGonagall carried on, "Furthermore, I present to you Hogwart's newest instructor of defence against the dark arts, Sturgis Podmore. Please take a stand, Sturgis."
Hermione and Ron' having never really seen the straw coloured hair wizard before recognized the man's name as a past member of the Order of the Phoenix with a storied background that at one point landed him within the confines of Azkaban prison.
Standing with a slight waver, the wizard pushing his elder years gave a simple, curt nod to the Hogwarts student body and retook his seat at once slouching just so that his chin touched his chest, hiding his face from view.
Once Podmore was back in his seat, a round of applause filled the Great Hall, when the clapping subsided, McGonagall who had been for the most part straight-faced for most of the evening broke into a rather abnormal looking smile.
"Let the feast begin!" McGonagall announced with a single clap of her hands, as like the jovial times prior to Voldemort's reign of terror, savoury and mouth salivating food appeared along the once empty plates and platters of the different house tables.
So distracted was the student body by the food, the elderly Headmistress took the advantage to vacate her seat at the head table to stride down between the house tables and approach one blissfully ignorant of his surroundings, Harry Potter.
Ginny contrary to the others around her had never let her eyes waver from Harry's form observed as a few whispered and hushed words were exchanged between Harry and McGonagall before the boy in question followed her out of the hall, his left leg staggering and limping as he went.
"Where are they off to?" Ron' asked, it appeared Ginny didn't have the only pair of inquisitive eyes when it came to Harry Potter.
In an unaccustomed gesture to Hermione's nature, the bushy haired witch gave a simple shrug of her shoulders.
While the trio of Hermione, Ron', and Ginny were left quite perplexed by Harry's appearance still, Dean Thomas on the other hand was eager to strike up a conversation regarding the wizarding world's saviour's abrupt return to civilization.
"Was that really him?" Dean questioned, his face filled with a disbelieving look.
"It was." stated Ginny surely, her voice wavering.
"Good riddance he kept his distance," grumbled Ron' in the interval of silence that followed Ginny's statement, the slant of her brother's eyes and grimace showed he was none to pleased with Harry's re-appearance.
Hermione on the other hand scowled at Ron's choice of words. "Ron'!"
"What?" Ron' snapped.
The look that Hermione gave Ron' after his snappish reply was enough to make the sternest of men cower.
"Sorry," said Ron', his tone showed his regret at addressing his girlfriend harshly. "But come on, 'Mione, he's here, he's back! And he still didn't even have the nerve to approach us, if you ask me, good riddance."
"I understand Harry didn't leave us with much after the battle, Ron', but I expect you can at least be civil." Hermione replied.
"Civil? The prick didn't even acknowledge us when he came in, for all I care the Harry I knew died along with Fred that night," Ron' chewed out, his eyes still fixated on the doors of the Great Hall.
"Ron', please." Ginny whispered, her thoughts running rampant with all the possibilities that had come up with Harry's return.
Casting a glance over to his sister, Ron' opened his mouth and let it fall close. Biting his tongue he assumed it best to probably not push the topic any more, or at least for now.
"The doors are opening," Dean announced, all eyes of Hogwarts school watched as McGonagall returned alone. "He's not with her."
"Hopefully he left, the prick," Ron' grumbled out, in swift respone Hermione stomped down on his foot under the table. "Ouch, what'd I do now?"
"That's our friend you're talking about, Ronald!" Hermione reprimanded as she switched her focus on to Ginny. "It's fine, Ginny, i'm sure McGonagall just wanted a few words with him about being late..."
"It's fine, Hermione, I'm not worried. In fact, I don't care." Ginny said firmly, if Harry was going out of his way to speak with her then it was only fair by nature she believed that she would do the same.
Hermione held a disbelieving look for some time before letting Ginny's defiant words go.
Without Harry there to distract the students, the welcoming feast passed by in relative silence. At the end as the students filed out and headed towards their house common room, Ginny would never had admitted it but her heart began to beat quicker and quicker with each step she took that brought her closer to the Fat lady's portrait, she knew she had told Hermione she didn't care but at that precise moment all she could hope was that she would find Harry Potter behind it.
Instead the four companions came into a common room scattered with Gryffindor students of all years lounging with their faces holding smiles and their voices filling the room with boisterous rounds of laughter and banter.
Seeing their disappointed expressions, Dean gave a sympathetic smile. "Cheer up you three, maybe he just got lost on his way here?"
"Harry doesn't get lost, not in Hogwarts anyways," Hermione replied, her eyes drifted up to door way that lead to the boys dormitories. "If anything he's probably up there, when in doubt Harry always tends to avoid confrontation and attention."
Ron' nodded. "I'll go up and haul him down here."
"You absolutely will not!" Hermione stated firmly.
"Why do you keep defending him!? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't," asked Ron', there was a spark of defiance in the sharp tone he used.
"Because we won't be doing ourselves any favours in trying to connect with Harry by embarrassing him," Hermione answered. "The last thing I'm sure he would want at this point is to be dragged down into the common room for everyone to see us air out our personal issues with him."
"You know what, I think I'm going to go for a walk. Seems like you three have your hands full here," cut in Dean as he slowly backed away.
"Don't be absurd, Dean, stay!" Hermione said, she realized how awkward their situation might be for him.
"Thanks, Hermione but really I think I'll go for a walk before curfew." Dean replied, with that said he turned on his heels and left through the entryway of the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Great, I hope you're happy now that you've managed to drive Dean off." Hermione snapped as she whirled back around to her boyfriend.
Ron' brows raised just as his voice was about to do the same, thankfully Ginny stepped in between the arguing couple.
"Merlin's beard would you both please stop, I can't believe you two," Ginny hissed, her eyes glaring angrily at the both of them. "Can't you see the only reason you're fighting is because of, Harry?! So quit it this second, you've been at each others throats the whole evening and I can't take it anymore!"
Hermione and Ron' were both seemingly perturbed by Ginny's words, sheepishly Ron' ran a hand through his bushy red hair while chancing a glance at Hermione. "Sorry, love."
"No, don't be. You didn't do anything wrong," Hermione replied softly, her hand stretching slowly out to take Ron's. "I think you may be right, Ginny. This whole Harry situation is tearing us apart."
"Then how about we all just give it a rest for tonight, Harry's bound to be in one of our classes tomorrow where he can't dodge us now can he." Ginny suggested, she pulled her robe close around her as if it were a blanket.
"Again, I think you may be right," Hermione said, she flashed Ginny a soft smile and delivered a small peck to Ron's cheek. "As per your sister, we're off to bed, I'd suggest you do the same, and if Harry happens to be up there, please show some restraint."
"I promise not to hit him if that's what you mean," Ron' vowed, though his eyes managed to roll.
"Well then yes that's exactly what I mean," answered Hermione.
Ginny watched as the two lovers shared a brief but tender kiss before wishing one another good night, following Hermione up the stairs to the girls dormitory she stopped briefly at it's doorway to look over at the closed door of the boys dormitory before disappearing into the girls dorms.
Climbing the staircase to the seventh year dormitories Ron' entered slowly, his eyes scanning the room until they stopped on Harry's bed who lay sleeping with light breaths. Tempted to go over and shake him awake, Ron' struggled with an inner debate
The inner Hermione conscience within him won out and decided against what would have been a more astute reaction. That being said, it didn't stop Ron' from glaring over at Harry's bed as he changed into a bright orange set of pajama's and climbed under the thick duvet of his own poster-bed. Back propped up on stacked pillows he watched his old friend sleep with the off chance he might wake up, yet as hard as Ron' tried to fight the temptation to sleep his eyelids began to flutter close.
Waking up the next morning, Ron' yawned and rolled over onto his side, the first thing to meet his eyes when he finally managed the courage to open them against the light seeping in through the windows was the tangled up bed sheets of Harry's empty bed.
"That sneaky little twit," Ron' grumbled, sitting up he grabbed his school uniform from it's discarded pile he had thrown last night and got redressed into his school attire.
Once he was dressed, Ron' gathered his books and supplies together and headed downstairs to find an impatient and expecting Hermione and Ginny.
"You're late," stated Hermione "I take it Harry wasn't to forthcoming in joining us?"
"Harry isn't anything," Ron' replied, his thumb hooked in the sling of his knapsack. "I saw him sleeping last night and by the time I woke up he was gone, so if you two didn't see him, either he took that ruddy cloak of his or he deliberately woke up before us all."
"What does it even matter?" questioned Ginny, for once she had woken up and not had any thoughts involving Harry until having listened to her brother and Hermione this very morning. "We've missed breakfast by waiting so long and are probably already late for Herbology."
"Herbology!" yelped Hermione, she immediately grabbed her textbooks from a nearby table and strode past Ginny and Ron' towards the common room exit.
Ron' huffed in amusement, but nether the less he followed suit after his girlfriend and sister. Travelling the dimly lit corridors and the changing staircases of Hogwarts Castle, the trio burst out the old fortification's doors into the beaming sun light of the castle grounds, in the distance they could make out the nearly blinding, shimmering tingle off the glass of Hogwarts greenhouses.
Turning the bronze rusty handle of the first greenhouse they came upon, Ginny entered into a room full of astute seventh year students, the heads of familiar faces of her year stared at her as if she were some unwelcomed interruption.
"Sorry," offered Ginny as she led her brother and Hermione into the Greenhouse. Her eyes immediately scanning the crowd of faces for Harry, near the back she spotted his emerald green eyes.
"Time is of the essence, Miss. Weasley. If you and your companions would please find a spot so we may continue," replied Professor Sprout, her hand gestured out a small gap of space nestled in between a group of Hufflepuff students.
Shuffling into the tight space they had found themselves in, Hermione quietly made an apology and urged Sprout to continue her class.
"Thank you, now as I was saying the Burmese Tongue-vine was discovered by Alistair Tillham in the early 17th century in Burma and has since resulted in the estimated deaths of over one thousand unsuspecting muggles and wizards alike since it's discovery," said Professor Sprout, her hands cloven in mitten gloves patted a few branches of the coiled ugly plant with sincere affection. "the Tongue-vine secludes a very toxic substance which under the precise expertise of a senior potioneer can be brewed into powerful draughts of life and healing."
"It can also be used as a very lethal strain of poison as well, can it not?" asked a voice from the back, the surprised class turned to stare at Harry who in return seemed to be peering right through them at Professor Sprout.
Sprout seemed a little unsure of whether or not to answer at first, but alas she gave a sheepish nod of her head. "Yes, Mr. Potter. Unfortunately it can, as I said before the toxin substance the vine produces has claimed it's fair share of victims within it's natural environment, however it hasn't been entirely unheard of for a troubled individual to harvest the toxin to use as a poison on some poor soul."
Immediately a Hufflepuff student by the name of Lyle Johnstone shot his arm into the air to ask a question.
"You've a question, Mr. Johnstone?" addressed Professor Sprout.
"Just curious, Professor, isn't the killing curse just as effective and less time consuming?" asked Johnstone.
"I suppose it is just as effective, the only noticeable difference between the two is that the Tongue-Vines toxin shows very subtle effects before death and can be very hard to identify as the cause of death," Professor Sprout said gloomily, she immediatly gave a shake of her head and squared her shoulders as she fixed the class with a stern look. "Now as I am beginning to feel as though this class is taking a darker turn for the worse, I will ask that this topic be dropped and we get back to the cultivation and maintenance of this deeply endangered plant."
"Did turn a bit morbid there didn't it," whispered Ron' to Hermione, his eyes focused on Harry at the back of class. "Though I suppose it couldn't be helped with Snape's reincarnated personality back there."
"Harry is not Snape." Hermione clarified.
"You're right, Snape was pretending to be an arse, Harry is just an arse." Ron' responded.
"A bit early to be having another row, no?" piped in Ginny with a flourish of her eyes.
"We're not having a row," Ron' grumbled. "Just a mere misunderstanding."
"You've been having quite a few misunderstanding's lately which I thought you both cleared up last night." whispered Ginny, she diverted her eyes when her talking drew the disapproving gaze of Professor Sprout.
The rest of the Herbology class passed by without any exuberant moments of excitement besides the over dramatic feigning of a deathly injury by one Gryffindor girl who swore she had been infected by the Tongue-vine's toxin. While the students of the class began to flow out from the greenhouse and head towards their next assorted classes, Ginny found herself filing out just a few steps behind Harry.
Her eyes dragged over his thin frame and the limp still quite pronounced in his step as it were the night before, she told herself to look away, to not pay him any mind or concern but still she couldn't help but feel the churn of empathy for him.
Perhaps it was a subconscious act or her arm may have had a mind of it's own as it began to reach out towards him, the tips of her fingers were just inches away and they would have touched had she not been jolted by the long lanky arm of her brother not been slung over her shoulder.
"Come on now, Gin', we've got Charms next," Ron' said, his long arm guiding her away from Harry. "And that will be this way."
There was a tempting urge for Ginny to pull back from her brother to go over and grab Harry to see if he was okay, but she also remembered the promise she had made her brother at the Burrow in her fathers shed which she knew to hold firm to no matter how much Harry's natural scent could be found wafting toward her in the open breeze of the school grounds.
A/N: New chapter for you all in a time that ranges probably in about forever? Anywho, like I always say, I never give up on my fics and I will finish them no matter what. But I shall keep this note brief and quick and just say thank you for reading my fic and please drop a review at the end. Good or bad, all critic's and opinions are welcomed as I hope they contribute to me becoming a better writer. Thank you all and please take care of yourselves. :}