Sorry for the delay guys! Curious little girls + my laptop equals massive frustration and deleted files. And then... well, then I made some new friends and now I have a new appreciation for Lindt chocolate. lol! If it's any consolation, I was going through withdrawal for not posting as often, and missed you all terribly.

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Number 85. Ravenclaws do not find a sign saying "The library is closed for an indefinite period of time" amusing in any sense

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Terry Boot come flying out of the school, leading a pack of Ravenclaw students and searching for Hermione with tears streaming unchecked down his face. "Hermione!" he yelled. "Did you see it? Can you believe it? What happened?"

Hermione didn't bother looking up as she continued checking items off on her list. "I saw Terry." She handed Goyle a stack of flyers. "Give these to the third years over there to pass out," she ordered crisply, before turning to Goyle. "Find Ginny and tell her to eliminate the delay. We need those signs now, not later."

Seamus panted lightly. "I love you all authoritative and anarchist-like," he told her breathlessly.

Dean snorted. "Why don't you just hit your knees and call her Mistress for fucks sake." He shook his head at his friend despairingly. "Remember back in the day when you used to have a spine?"

Neville shrugged. "I can't really say anything to that. I'd let her whip me too." Lavender choked on her pumpkin juice.

"Not that the sexual proclivities of Gryffindors isn't disturbing or entertaining," Pansy eyed Terry warily, "but I for one would like to know why a sobbing Ravenclaw is amongst us and no one has hexed it yet."

"He, Pansy," Hermione corrected absently. "Terry is a he, not an it." Pansy rolled her eyes dismissively. "And he is crying," Hermione continued as she sent off a memo to Luna, "because the library has been temporarily closed." Terry whimpered pitifully.

Seamus turned to Harry, looking slightly apprehensive. "The mad old bint is scary enough. Do you really think it wise to admit her into FC?" Harry just shrugged, grinning wickedly.

"Books?" Parvati asked incredulously. "You're crying over books?"

Padma Patil stormed over and slapped her twin. "Not just books, you flighty idiot! Our access to knowledge has been rudely taken away from us! How can you be so blasé over something of this magnitude?"

"It was a necessary step so Madame Pince could complete her list of requested books uninterrupted." Hermione smiled sweetly at the irate girl. "Protest sign?"

Harry started laughing. "Geez, Padma, don't know why you're so upset anyway." He shrugged lightly. "It's a fact that history is written by the victors. You would have to read several different texts about a subject in order to garner a complete understanding. Do you really think Dumbledore or the ministry would allow us to develop unfettered opinions over subjects he can't control?"

Anthony Goldstein eyed the group warily. "Is this another way of getting us to follow your plan for educational reform? Other than staring at us like you want to suck out our souls, that is."

"They don't want your souls," Luna answered dreamily, walking over to Hermione clutching her sign and dressed up in her naughty school girl uniform. "Your souls have been tainted. The cleansing rituals would take too long to complete." She eyed the nervous looking Ravenclaws thoughtfully. "I could start the preparations if you'd like, Hermione."

"Oh, no thanks Luna." Hermione successfully hid her smile. "Finally!" she yelled, spotting Ginny and Colin approaching, arms laden with signs. "Where have you been?"

"Don't yell at me," Ginny answered irritably, thrusting her signs into Seamus and Dean's arms when no one tried to help her with the load. "I was looking for Ron. Anyone seen him?"

Theodore Nott snickered. "Nope. But Blaise snuck back into the dorm sometime around three am. He looked a bit," he snickered again, "frustrated."

Michael Corner looked confused. "Well if he went off with Ron, what do you really expect? Slytherins and Gryffindors are not really well known for playing nicely together."

"Oh I don't know." Harry smiled over at Draco. "Some Slytherins and Gryffindors play well together. You just have to know how to play a bit… dirty."

Anthony smiled kindly at Harry. "You're just saying that because the vampire and mate bond is a strong one. Before you bonded, you didn't get along well at all."

"Oh they haven't bonded yet. They have to wait until they're seventeen." Luna smiled dreamily as she handed Su Li a sign proclaiming 'WE'VE EVOLVED FROM THE TIME OF THE FLINTSTONES!'

Green eyes lit up with laugher. "Nothing wrong with a bit of blood play every now and then."

Seamus laughed at Harry. "Maybe Malfoy isn't the only one who's a kinky little bugger."

"What are you talking about?" Anthony looked totally confused. Lavender and Neville stared at the boy.

"You mean it wasn't just Ron?" Neville looked truly shocked by the widespread ignorance.

"Speaking of which…" Ginny started.

"Off the subject!" Terry yelled, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand. "How can she just close the library like that? And for how long? An indefinite amount of time, the sign said!"

"She doesn't like the filthy students putting their filthy hands all over her precious books." Hermione started.

"Blasphemy!" he roared.

She patted Terry's arm soothingly. "She agrees that educational reform is necessary. Especially if it'll give her and all of us more books to play with."

"You're getting students to do what you want them to do by manipulating teachers to do your bidding first?" Daphne eyed Hermione with rising respect. "How have we not become friends before now?"

Luna gestured dismissively. "The whole Mudblood thing." She smiled over at Hermione. "Shouldn't you be addressing the students and members of the press? Starting a rallying cry everyone can focus on, such as 'death to the infidels!'"

"Hmm," Seamus agreed. "I can get you a leather outfit to wear. Purely for effect." Dean smacked him upside the back of the head.

Flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, Hermione made her way over to a podium placed in the middle of the gathering. A quick 'sonorous' and she was ready. "Hello fellow students, ladies and gentlemen of the press, and concerned parents gathered here to support our efforts. You should all be very proud of yourself and all we have accomplished thus far." The crowd clapped politely. "The new Parent Teacher Association has come up with a list of requirements for suitable teachers, as well as several extra curricular activities such as Magical Art, choir, band, regulated sports, and," an odd expression crossed her face, "behavior, etiquette, and manners." The crowd cheered just a bit louder. "But we still have a lot to strive for! Still, after so many weeks of struggle, our esteemed headmaster refuses to participate in our crusade and continues to neglect such basic tools as the library!"

Terry let out another sob. "It's true," he called out. "In fact the library is closed right now! For an indefinite period of time! No one has access to anything at the moment!" Next to him Padma waved a 'ROUGE IS A COLOR. A ROGUE ISN'T! – LET OUR CHILDREN LEARN!' sign threateningly.

Hermione slammed her hand down on the podium for emphasis. "The time for dallying has come to an end! Hogwarts must recognize the need for restructuring after so many years! Students have a right to a high level of education! Together we can make a difference!" Seamus gave her a besotted look; holding up a cardboard sign proclaiming 'KEEP YOUR COINS, I WANT CHANGE!'

Anthony Goldstein waved a sign bearing the word 'REDRUM!' enthusiastically in support. "Death to the infidels!" He blushed at the weird looks he received. "What?" he asked defensively. He jerked his thumb in Luna's direction. "I was just following in her footsteps.

Luna twirled one of her pigtails around her fingers, her 'HELL NO WE WON'T GO!' sign floating in the air besides her. "You shouldn't follow in my footsteps," she told Anthony seriously. "Sometimes I walk into walls."

Dumbledore appeared on the steps of the school just then, flanked by Minerva and Flitwick. He looked utterly bewildered by the large gathering of students, press, parents, and ministry officials attempting to restore order. He held up his hands like a messiah, waiting until the noise level dropped before bestowing a smile upon the gathered mass. "I assure you, the need to gather like this is no more. The situation is under control, the students are safe; there is nothing left to be concerned with." He frowned at his deputy headmistress as she graciously accepted an 'I CAN'T BELIEVE WE STILL HAVE TO PROTEST THIS CRAP!' sign. She shrugged in response.

'Oh really?" Ginny called out. "Then where's my brother? Or are you saying we don't need to be concerned when students come up missing?" The press whispered amongst themselves, sending the headmaster disapproving glares.

"And why's the library closed?" Mariette Edgecombe yelled out, hoisting her 'NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!' sign. "It's bad enough that the books are seriously outdated and unfit for proper growth and development, but how is shutting the library down completely conducive to a healthy learning environment?"

"The library is not closed," Dumbledore replied serenely.

"Yes it is!" Terry roared, pumping his 'OFF WITH HIS HEAD!' sign into the air.

Colin Creevey shook his 'ACCORDING TO BINNS VOLDEMORT IS NOT A THREAT!' sign towards the school. "The times, they are a changing! Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug! We must change with the times before we're flattened by them!"

Susan Bones and her Hufflepuff friends linked arms and began to sway together, singing. "We shall overcome, we shall overcome…"

A parent waved a 'YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT!' sign impatiently. "And no more demonic rituals for our children!"

Harry leaned against the wall and watched the battle rage. He sighed happily. "I love it when there's trouble and it can't be linked back to me."

Draco snorted, watching as Hermione shouted and waved her signs energetically from the safe bubble provided by the hulking Crabbe and Goyle. "We may have to keep Granger for awhile. She's dead useful when it comes to being tenacious."

Ginny tugged on Harry's arm anxiously. "Have you seen Ron? I'm getting really worried. He wasn't back in the common room by the time I went to bed last night, and he missed breakfast. Was he there when you woke up?"

Neville snorted. "Harry's curtains were firmly closed this morning. And judging by the quiet, several privacy spells were in place." He reached out and patted Ginny's arm comfortingly. "Although, I can honestly tell you that five males took showers this morning."

"Only one of them was blond instead of a red head," Dean muttered quietly. Seamus elbowed him, laughing.

Parvati linked arms with Ginny. "Ron's a big boy. I'm sure he'll turn up by tomorrow."

Seamus sighed happily, ignoring the conversation around him as he watched Hermione go head to head with Dumbledore in a debate. "Can't you just picture her with a whip?"