Author's note: Next chapter up in two days as usual! Enjoy!
Maesde: Yes, and now there will tests to test their growing friendship and trust. I'm very excited to post this chapter. I wrote it a while ago, hope I did well. Thank you for the review!
Starzinmieyez: Thank you. I actually had to work a lot on that conversation because I couldn't possibly show friendliness between Harry and Draco immediately. I'm glad that you liked it. Hope you like this one as well.
Legionary Prime: I'm really happy to know that you are enjoying the story. And I've started working with the prank on Umbridge part. Thank you for reviewing!
101FrozenFire101: Right timing. I was actually going to post this chapter when I saw your review. Thank you. I'm really glad you like it. As for the recommendation you gave I have read that story and it's definitely one of my favs too, but I managed to get one. It's 'the Negative side' by Plaidly Lush. I'm sure you gonna like it. Check it out. Hope you like this chapter as well.
She looked up shaking all over. If Blaise hadn't caught her she would have fallen down. Harry and Draco raced up to her and sat on her either side. She held up the letter shakily and looked at him, the tears threatening to fall any moment.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I should have told you this morning…but…but I couldn't. I couldn't tell you." Draco whispered, making small circles on her back, soothing her.
"What is it about?" Neville asked from his armchair. Small creases were visible on his forehead.
"Yeah, who is this letter from?" Harry asked, doubting Draco for the first time.
Draco sighed. "It's from my father." He took the letter from Hermione's trembling fingers and handed it over to Harry.
Harry took the letter without a word and started reading loudly.
Draco,
Less than a week is remaining for your branding. I know you have been ready for this moment forever and at last here it comes. The Dark Lord is getting even more impatient with the mission he has in mind for you. Once you come back the mission will be immediately put into action. Do not disappoint me.
L.M.
"What mission?" Harry asked impassively.
"I've no idea. He kept talking about it the entire year. I have no idea what he wants from me." Draco said inching closer to Hermione as she shivered.
"Are you…" Theo started but Draco cut him off angrily.
"Of course not Theo, I'm not going. I thought I made that pretty clear already." Draco's voice raised and he was shouting by the end of his reply.
"Let's not get angry and try to solve this out. Have you replied yet?" Luna asked as she came forward and knelt in front of Hermione.
Draco shook his head. "No." he said in a small voice.
"Okay, tell him you are not going to come back. Tell him you have no intentions of joining him." Harry said, staring at the letter and then up at Draco.
"It's not easy Potter." Draco growled.
"I know but this is the only option unless you want to go back."
"I don't want to." He between clenched teeth and Hermione squeezed his hand, calming him down instantly.
"Then you have got no other option." Blaise said agreeing with Harry.
"I told you Blaise, my father will kill me." Draco said looking at Blaise.
"Not as long as you are in Hogwarts." Harry said, leaning forward and placing the letter on the table.
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, it's Christmas so the students can stay if they want. And as per the rules if a student wishes to stay and not go back then the parents cannot force the students to come home." Harry said explaining his point with patience.
"There is no Dumbledore in this school anymore Potter, its Umbridge. My father will bribe his way in." he argued, almost feeling hopeless with the flaw he had found in Harry's plan.
"No he cannot." Hermione said straightening up.
"What?" Neville and Draco voiced together.
"He cannot bribe his way in. It's the school rules. She cannot change or remove any rules without the consent of all the governors and your father isn't the only one. There are many others. So it's not possible. Just make sure everyone knows that you are staying. So if you go back suddenly everyone will know your father bribed his way in. Umbridge wouldn't like it if the word got around." Hermione looked quite hopeful with it.
Draco understood; his father could not bribe him out of the school if he decided not to go. So he got up from his place, went to his bag and took out a piece of parchment and his quill. Bending over a small coffee table he quickly scribbled his reply and pushed the parchment in his pocket. He would give it to one of the school owls tomorrow to deliver it to his father. There was no way he was going to send his own owl, he may never return.
They sat down trying to get some work done. In the last week many students had come up to Harry asking for some academic help. Almost half of the DA had asked for his help and he had decided to do something about it. He had talked to Neville and Ron about helping the necessary students, but the problem was they were just (Including Slytherins, in case they would help) few and the numbers of students needing help were more. The DA members had said that even their friends wanted some help studying. So Harry along with Neville and Ron had come up with an idea.
They had made a list of people in the DA who they could ask for help. They would work as tutors to the people who need help in the academics so they were sitting trying to decide who to elect for the job. Ron and Neville had made an application kind of form and handed it over the meetings to those who were willing to help the younger students in studying. Neville placed a bundle of forms in front of Harry.
"Many students filled up, they all want to help, we just have to select the reliable once and cut out the ones who would prove nothing but a nuisance." Neville sat across Harry and waited for Harry to speak.
"Have they mentioned which subject they are willing to teach?" Harry asked reaching for the bundle.
"Yes. After looking at the way you are helping them, they are all willing to do it." Ron said, sitting beside Neville.
"Okay we will do one thing; we will just go through these forms now and set aside the ones who we are doubtful about. Then we will think about what to do."
And they had all set to work. Harry had the Slytherins practicing the shield at one corner of the room, with him occasionally helping or assisting them. Hermione and Ginny were researching new study material while Harry, Ron, Neville with Luna's help was deciding who were fit to teach and who were not. Luna probably had a good judgement about it, taking into consideration her observation skills.
An hour later, they had selected many people who they seemed perfect for the role of tutors. Since all the DA tutors were DA members he had no problem revealing himself to them. "Ron and Luna, write out letters to the people we have selected and tell them that they have a huge responsibility now, make sure they know that it remains a secret. Charm the letters with DA oath and rules. And tell them I want to have a word with them, so call them tomorrow for a meeting here. Regular time" They nodded and sat off to work.
The whole aspect of this tutor thing was to be kept as secretive as possible. Since Umbridge had taken over, the entire curriculum had changed and now involved nothing but strictly 'theory.' Students without practical knowledge found it difficult to understand the theory part. Their grades that subsequently decreased and the whole lot of them had approached Harry after a DA meeting. And Harry had promised he would come up with something.
So the next day he had sat with Ron and Neville and thought of this plan. The tutors were strictly supposed to be from DA, and many capable students had come forward for the responsibility which Harry was proud was. They had circulated forms through informal means which instructed the students who need help to fill it and leave it at a particular place which were then collected by some DA Core member. They had grouped the students according to the year and subject with which they needed help and assigned tutors to that group. They were supposed to gather students in batch of twos and threes and not more to avoid attention and teach them in their free time. The whole system of this was secretive, no one was supposed to know who was setting and running it. The students outside DA would be told that the elder students were just willing to help.
And the plan was supposed to set in action tomorrow immediately after the DA meetings. Harry had a good feeling it would work out and the DA would be kept in silence. No one would know who or why they are helping and even if Umbridge decided to investigate it would take her nowhere since she would never know from whom or where to start the investigation from.
They had worked up to the wee hours of the morning. In the end all ten of them sat down and helped assigning tutors to the right group of students. After the letters were written and sent out did they all relax and settled in for some sleep. They slept wherever they found space. Since the room was huge they had no problem about privacy.
Luna and Daphne slept on the two couches in the room, while Theo, Ron, Blaise, Neville, Draco and Harry's sleeping bags were huddled together in the right side of the room. Hermione and Ginny were sleeping on the other side of the room, away from the vision line of the boys.
Ginny found Harry standing near one of the windows early in the morning. She got up and went over to him. He smiled as she stood next to him.
"You didn't sleep?" she asked timidly, suddenly turning shy.
"I couldn't Gin." He said softly.
"Don't be worried Harry, everything will get back to normal like the way it used to be…yeah except for a few things." And they both turned to look at the Slytherins who looked like they were quietly enjoying the sleep. They chuckled and turned back to the windows.
"I know Gin, but sometimes it just scares me for no reason. I guess I'm just tired of losing people." He said and sighed.
"You know Harry…" she said as she inched a bit closer to him. "No one's going to leave you, you know. Everyone's staying with you. Everyone's tired of leaving you too."
He gave a sad chuckle and she knew exactly what was bothering him. "You miss him don't you…?" Harry turned sharply at her. "…Dumbledore I mean. You miss him."
Harry softened and nodded his head. "I do miss him Ginny. It's like he left a huge gaping hole in my life and I can see nothing but a huge black spot there, you know where he used to be to."
"He'll come back Harry; he won't leave you like this."
"I know." Harry said and he immediately got lost in his headmaster's memories and he couldn't help but feel sad at his sudden disappearance from his life.
"You care about him a lot, don't you?" Ginny asked slowly already knowing the answer.
"A lot Ginny. He had been through everything that I had to go through. He was there you know when I got insulted and defamed, like he was sharing my insults too. He got insulted and defamed too. He didn't leave my side then, just stood there with me, baring all that things that I went through."
He was silent for a while. Ginny didn't disturb him from whatever thoughts he had but just stood there like his mere presence was enough for her.
"He's the rock of my life." Harry said suddenly and Ginny looked up at him to see that faraway look in his bright green eyes that he often had when he was thinking strongly about something.
"He was always there Ginny. Never in my life had I stopped, looked around and thought he's not there. Never. He was always there. He was someone who I had learnt to lean on Gin. Every time I wanted to take a break from this fame and attention thing, or I got tired of my life or faced infinite problems and just wanted to relax for a while, I did carelessly you know, because I knew Dumbledore was watching my back every time."
"He's just someone who could I lean on and forget about the worries of the world, because in the end I knew he'll be there to save the day like a real hero. And today when he's not here, it gives me a sickening feeling. Because I just realised how much I depended on that old man. I can't relax even for a second. I always stay awake at night, at least most of the time, fearing an attack because I know Dumbledore's not here to watch my back and it makes me feel even worse."
Harry hung his head feeling miserable. "No Harry. He's still around. He'll still watch over you Harry even if he's not around. I know. I just know it. I don't think he'll ever stop worrying and looking out for you. We all know how much he cares for you." Ginny rubbed his hand, desperately trying to assure him of her words.
"He loves you Harry." She said at last and Harry turned sharply to look at her again and he could see nothing but a strong belief at what she just said.
"I just fear of betraying him Ginny. I don't want to betray the trust he has in me. If I lose I don't think I'll ever be able to look at him." Harry's voice trembled and Ginny held him tightly.
"You won't lose Harry, he won't let you." She said softly.
"If I die…" Harry began and Ginny visibly shivered. Harry straightened up and took her in his arms. "…I said if Ginny. Forget it. You know I always picture myself dying to protect him and there is no doubt I will."
"Everyone knows Harry, if anyone is loyal to him the most; it's you."
Harry didn't know what to say to that. He knew where his loyalties lay, to Dumbledore. There was no doubt, it always had. There was never a time when he had doubted it, yes there were times when he had trust issues and didn't want to talk to him, but his loyalties never swayed. They were firm and straight. He was his mentor and he was the only one to whom Harry was the closest to; expect Ron and Hermione of course. But there were some things which neither knew about him but Dumbledore did.
For once he may doubt himself and find himself incapable but he never doubted Dumbledore or his judgement. He thought he just wasn't capable of judging a man like Dumbledore. He closed his eyes and thought of all those times when Dumbledore had said he was proud of him and how he had felt relief spread through him. At that time he wanted nothing but to just impress Dumbledore; childish as it may sound but it was true. Dumbledore was the greatest wizard of all time and hearing something of those sorts from him was a big achievement in itself.
His thoughts slowly shifted from Dumbledore to the girl in his arms. He was surprised to find her fit in his arms so easily and perfectly. He smiled,
"I love you." He said softly and sighed as he felt her grip tightened on his chest where her small fist had clutched a good part of his shirt.
-xxxxx-
Done! Took time but I did my best.
Next Update: Umbridge's new threat.