Posted on: 15/03/2014 at 19:10 UTC/GMT/Zulu.
AN: I apologise for the delay in posting. This chapter fought me all the way and really didn't want to be written. Writing it was almost physically painful and I'm still not happy with it. However you'll all be pleased to know that this fic is now entered in The Long Haul Competition III (Link on my page). This means that in order to meet the challenge conditions I have to update every week.
Thank you to my reviewers PurpleBullet, Onyx Obsidian, saillorgemini and LM Rider the Batty Bat (Whose reviews I just noticed.) Thank you to all those who have favourited and or followed this story. The next chapter should be up on 21/04/2014.
Just a quick note. This is AU. In my headcanon Sirius was an auror before and during the war. In this AU they caught the rat Pettigrew, who was kissed by a dementor, and Sirius was exonerated. After a public apology and compensation he was given six months recovery time and re-joined the auror corps.
Now on to the chapter.
The Marriage Curse
Waiting
Hermione and Harry got back to the hospital wing and groaned. People were awake all over the place, intermingling and wincing, yelling and crying out as they came into contact.
Hermione pulled her wand from her robes and pointed it at herself. "Sonorous." She incanted.
"FREEZE!" Hermione shouted. Her voice boomed out over the hospital wing.
It had the intended effect. Everyone shut up, stopped moving and turned to stare. There were a few more winces and yips.
Hermione sighed and then said. "Everyone whose skin has hurt yours is now your husband or wife. Don't touch anyone. You'll be bonded to the first three people of the opposite sex whom you touch."
There was stunned silence for a moment and then arguments began to break out all over the wing.
"Wonderful." Harry said.
"Quiet please!" Hermione said. "Arguing won't solve anything. I suggest we all go back to our common rooms and I will ask the kitchens to deliver food there."
There was a murmur of consensus and then people began to drift away to their dorms muttering and some restarting their arguments.
Harry pointed his wand at Hermione's throat and said "Quietus."
Hermione's voice became normal again. The twins were still there.
"We'll go to the kitchen. You stay. We'll get them to send you some food too." Fred said. "Someone should wait for one of the adults to wake up."
"You're adults." Harry said.
"A responsible adult." George clarified with a subdued smile.
The twins left.
"They are right." Harry said.
He sat on the foot of the bed containing the Malfoys. Hermione joined him looking down at their faces. How was Lucius going to react? Then she shuddered. Never mind him. Narcissa would skin her.
"I'm not going to let them hurt you 'Mione." Harry said proving his thoughts had been running along the same lines as hers.
"Let's sit on the floor. We can transfigure a couple of visitors chairs." Hermione said.
She transfigured a couple of chairs into soft, well stuffed bean bags and they sat.
Fred and George brought them food as promised and left them to it. They ate and sat and waited in silence.
After about half an hour they heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. They looked at each other shrugged and stood.
The hospital wing doors opened.
Kingsley, Tonks and Sirius entered the wing.
"Hello pup. What the hell is going on?" Sirius asked.
"Well. We don't know exactly." Harry said feeling relief flood through him at the sight of responsible adults.
"We do know that there's a curse or spell of some sort affecting the whole of Hogwarts." Hermione said.
Kingsley chuckled. "I'll say. It's taken two days to fight through the wards."
"How many of you?" Harry asked. "It could affect you all you know." He added.
"How did you know?" Hermione asked.
Kingsley held up his hand for quiet and they grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry." Hermione said.
Kingsley sent his Lynx patronus off somewhere and then flicked his wand to draw up some chairs.
"Why don't we start at the beginning?" He said.
"Two days there was a massive surge of magic inside Hogwarts. It set off alarms in the Ministry and when we got here the wards were refusing entrance to anyone. It's taken a lot of power to get through and they sealed behind us. I doubt our fellow aurors will be pleased they can't join us." Kingsley said.
"That's all we know." Sirius said. "Perhaps you can tell us more."
Hermione nodded.
"Two days ago we fell unconscious during potions and woke up here. We found everyone else asleep, Madame Pomphrey was unconscious on the floor, and noticed something strange when we moved her to a bed." Hermione paused.
"Yeah. Her skin sort of zapped me." Harry said.
"We found a lot of people asleep in the great hall. Dobby was there and he said that an ancient marriage curse had been activated a-" Hermione was cut off by Tonks.
"A what!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah. We have to marry the first three witches or wizards we touched after waking up and have children with them." Hermione said.
"Sorry. What!" Tonks exclaimed.
Harry sighed. "Why don't I just call Dobby to explain?"
"Good idea." Kingsley said.
"Dobby." Harry called out.
Dobby appeared looking nervous. He stood twisting his left ear as he looked around at the assembled witches and wizards.
"Harry potter sir called?" He asked.
"Yes I did." Harry said. "Can you tell us what's going on?" He asked.
Dobby suddenly looked very nervous.
"It's alright nobody will be angry." Hermione reassured him.
"There is a very old spell that is waking up and affecting all of Hogwarts." Dobby said.
"Do you know what caused it?" Harry asked.
"There is is being an old object that is causing it." Dobby said.
"Can you get this object or take us to it?" Harry asked.
"It's is in the secret place. Dobby does not think he is allowed to go in there." The elf said suddenly shaking violently.
"Bad thing in secret place. We is not knowing of secret place until the magic wakes up." Dobby added.
Hermione frowned.
"Can you tell us if these three are now affected too?" She asked.
Dobby looked at them. He nodded.
"Yes. They is having to marry now too." He said.
"Dobby if I promise you won't get into trouble can you take us all to where this object is?" Kingsley asked.
"Dobby could. But Headmaster Dumblydore is being angry." The elf said nervously.
"I promise that he won't be angry. He'll need to see this object when he wakes and he'll be pleased we got it." Kingsley said.
Dobby looked unsure for a moment then nodded. "You must all hold onto Dobby."
Harry took Dobby's left hand, Hermione took hold of his shoulder. Tonks was very careful not to touch either of them. Hermione smiled slightly.
Kingsley and Sirius took hold of Dobby's right hand and shoulder. There was a loud crack and the world went black and twisted around them.
They found themselves in the Chamber of Secrets.
Hermione saw the Basilisk and shrieked.
"You killed that!" She exclaimed looking at Harry with something akin to awe. "It's enormous!"
"Um yeah." Harry said scratching the back of his head in discomfort as they all gawked at the basilisk corpse and him. "Fawkes helped. He blinded it."
"Dobby knew Harry Potter was a great wizard but he did not know he was this great!" The little elf exclaimed.
Harry blushed. "Can you lead us to the artefact?"
Dobby lead them over to the statue. The mouth was closed. "Through the statue."
Harry sighed.
Kingsley strode forward. "It needs Parsletongue to open it." Harry said.
He looked at the basilisk and tried to remember what Riddle had said. Then he had it. He turned to the statue.
"Speak to me Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four." Harry hissed.
The statue opened it's mouth and Harry went over to it. He wasn't looking forward to crawling through the passageway but it had to be done.
"Wards are gone now. Dobby can take you." The elf grabbed Harry's hand and suddenly they were in a room full of books and objects.
"Erm which one?" Harry asked.
Dobby picked a glowing gold orb and handed it to Harry.
"Great." Harry said. "Good job Dobby. Can you get us all out of here now?" He asked.
Dobby nodded and ten minutes later they were all back in the Hospital Wing.
Harry went and sat on a spare bed.
Kingsley ordered the Hogwarts elves to retrieve those asleep in the Great Hall and the hospital wing expanded to fit them all in.
After that events moved slowly.
Sirius examined the orb while Kingsley and Tonks went to inform the students of what was going on.
At some point the House elves brought them all some dinner. Kingsley let Harry and Hermione stay in the hospital wing to wait for their friends and Dumbledore to wake up.
He and Hermione took free beds and sat down on them to wait for the others to wake up.
Harry wasn't entirely sure when he fell asleep. He knew it was some time after Sirius had given up on the orb and Padfoot had decided to sleep on his feet. Hermione was shaking him awake. Padfoot grumbled when he moved. and woke too yawning hugely and turning back into Sirius.
"Hmm, 'was up 'Mione?" He murmured sleepily.
Hermione handed him his glasses and he put them on. He looked around the room. The second group of sleepers were waking up.
Albus Dumbledore sat up and blinked around as his fingers wandered over the bedside table hunting his glasses. He found them and settled them on his crooked nose.
Kingsley and Tonks sat on the edge of his bed and began to fill him in on everything that had happened. Harry gave a sigh of relief. It was well and truly out of their hands and now they might get some answers about the hows and whys of this situation.
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