The mirror doesn't lie and I still have short brown hair so I must not of magically changed into JK Rowling, so no I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter Eighty-six

The Truth About Broom Bunnies

Early Saturday morning, Taylor rolled out of bed and pulling on a sweater over her pajamas, picked up her school bag and quietly slipped down the stairs to the empty common room. Spreading out her schoolwork, she started on it determined to get it finished and not spend her entire first free Saturday chained inside.

She had finished her two weeks of detention the previous Sunday, and had thrown herself into catching up on all her late homework, effectively tying herself to either the library or the common room all week as she struggled to catch up on all the work she'd had to let slide. Thankfully the Head Boy had been understanding and had been agreeable enough to do his homework in Gryffindor Tower or she wouldn't have seen him hardly at all the entire week, again!

Hermione joined her a half hour later and claimed the other table beside Taylor's and after a brief greeting, disappeared behind a mound of books. Other seventh years trickled down to the common room, as well as fifth years, all cramming for their NEWTS or OWLs whichever they were sitting in just a few short weeks.

By mid morning the younger students all seemed to have gotten the message that they were to move about quietly, and anything above a soft whisper earned them a telling off from any one of the older students. Even Hermione, who was normally understanding, had a very short fuse and had threatened to take ten house points from anyone causing a disturbance in the common room.

The sky was blue and the sun was shining outside the common room windows showing what a beautiful spring day it was. However inside the castle fifth and seventh year students in all the houses were trying to study and ignore the wonderful weather.

Around mid afternoon Taylor put her quill down and closed her book. She'd finished all her assignments for her classes over two hours ago and was working on revision to get ready for her NEWTS. She closed her eyes for a moment and could still see the complicated wand movements for Transfiguration that she'd been going over. Pushing to her feet she started piling up her books and putting her things away.

"What do you think you are doing?" Hermione hissed like an angry cat.

Taylor glanced over at her harried looking friend and whispered, "Going outside."

"Outside!" Hermione hissed in disbelief, "You have revision to do!"

"So I'll take my book, but I am going outside! I've been trapped inside for too long. You can come or stay." Taylor said as she put the last of her things into her book bag and closed it. She could see her brother and Ron looking at her with a nearly comical, hopeful expression.

With a look that clearly said she thought Taylor had lost her marbles, Hermione hissed angrily, "I have revision to do! As do you! Don't come crying to me if you fail all your NEWTS!" before retreating back behind the mound of books on her table.

Taylor shrugged. She'd been doing schoolwork for nearly nine hours and she needed a break. Dropping her bag off in her room she pulled on a pair of comfortable jeans and a t-shirt, picked up her charms book and headed outside. Her brother and Ron were waiting for her outside by the Fat Lady.

"You know Porter, every once in a great while you come up with an excellent idea." Ron said amiably as they headed down through the castle.

"I know. I need to spread my genius out you see or I'd end up like Hermione, trapped in her own revision tables!" Taylor said in very haughty voice.

The two wizards cracked up as did Taylor.

"So where to?" Harry asked when he could finally stop laughing.

"Why don't we go out by the lake? Ginny's probably out there with some of her friends. If not we can sit under one of the trees for a while." Taylor suggested. She really didn't care as long as it was outside!

"What no Hufflepuff?" Ron asked raising his eyebrows.

"You might wish! I'm stopping on my way out to see if he wants to come along. Of course he might be as crabby as Hermione… maybe it's a Head Girl or Boy thing. Remember how Percy used to get?" Taylor said with a grin.

Ron rolled his eyes. The three Gryffindors had reached the Entrance Hall, the huge oak doors stood open letting the bright sunshine spill in. The only person they saw was an auror walking across the foyer on patrol.

Taylor led them down the corridor towards the Hufflepuff common room and study room. Stopping outside the study room door she knocked cautiously wondering if Hufflepuffs were as crabby as Gryffindors when studying.

A few seconds later the door was opened by a frowning fifth year, "What do you want Porter?"

"Hi!" Taylor said as brightly as possible, "I was wondering if the Head Boy might be in there." She hadn't finished when the witch turned and called.

"Hunter! Door!" before disappearing back into the room.

"Friendly lot aren't they?" Harry asked dryly.

The door opened and the Head Boy looked out, looking distinctly disgruntled, though his expression changed the instant he saw Taylor. "Hey! I thought you were going to study today?"

"I have been since early this morning. I decided I need some fresh air. We're going out by the lake, want to come?" Taylor asked smiling up at the tall dark haired wizard in a wrinkled old t-shirt she'd never seen before and faded jeans.

A half hour later the four of them were seated comfortably out on the lawns on a blanket next to a large rock not far from the lake, eating sandwiches and drinking pumpkin juice.

"Great idea Hunter," Ron said around a mouthful of sandwich as he nodded.

"There is definitely an advantage to having one's common room not far from the kitchens," the Hufflepuff grinned as he took another bite.

Taylor just rolled her eyes. She was hungry too but the way the boys went on a person would think they hadn't eaten in two days.

When they were finished eating, Greg vanished the wrappers and juice containers and they settled back in a comfortable position in the warm sun. Ron and Harry were laying back on the blanket soaking up the sun, the Hufflepuff had his back resting against the rock and Taylor was comfortably leaning back against his side, his arm draped over her shoulder. The boys were talking quidditch and she was content to just listen, thoroughly enjoying her first chance to relax in weeks.

Taylor's eyes had drifted shut as the warm sun beat down on her, but one popped open as she listened to Ron, "… and there's these witches who hang around the pitch and when the players come off they like mob them. Bloody hell, could you imagine being mobbed by a whole passel of barmy broom bunnies all wanting a bloke?"

Taylor snorted, "A whole passel of broom bunnies? Hermione'd blast the whole lot of them!"

"What do you know about it? You're a girl!" Scoffed Ron.

"A girl? Well I want you to know I consider myself a broom bunny too, Ron Weasley!" Taylor said.

Harry nearly choked and she could feel the Head Boy chuckling behind her, before he said in a partly amused, partly exasperated voice, "Taylor love, broom bunnies are usually, ah… easy witches looking for a lay with a bloke."

Taylor turned around and stared at the Head Boy open mouthed before she turned to look at Ron, "Does Hermione know that?"

Ron's face turned bright red, "Blimey, how should I know?"

"Boys!" Taylor muttered as she settled back against the Hufflepuff. "How come guys always have to give girls stupid names anyway? I mean really? Broom bunnies? Birds? Chits?"

Harry looked over at his sister and shook his head. She really was naive when it came to guys. "Guys, well some guys, most guys I guess… well they just talk… about ahh…"

The Hufflepuff rolled his eyes, "I think what Potter is trying to say is that, when guys are together they talk, and well guys are guys and their talk can be rather crude at times. They just come up with names for girls, like code names so they can talk even when they are in mixed company. Girls do the same thing."

"No we don't!" Taylor said as she twisted to look at the tall wizard behind her.

"Sure you do." Ron put in. "You must have heard Lav Lav talking to some of the others."

Taylor wrinkled her nose in distaste, "Eww! Now those are revolting conversations to overhear! The way they carry on a person would think that guys are some sort of candy or something!" She could see Ron's ears were red and her brother was looking decidedly embarrassed. "Well I don't talk like that! I mean, sure Hermione, Ginny and I have talked… ah… about guys but not like that!"

Harry rolled over on his side facing his sister and arched an eyebrow suddenly curious, "So what exactly have you three talked about, regarding guys?"

It was Taylor's turn to blush, she most definitely was not telling her brother about that conversation! "Ahh… just girl stuff."

Harry's curiosity grew, as well as his desire to tease his sister a little. He could see she was more than a little embarrassed. "What kind of girl stuff? Like how masculine we look? Or dashing?"

Taylor snorted and her hand flew to her mouth as she tried to stop herself from giggling. Her voice squeaked out a "No!" before she could continue, "I can honestly say those particular words most definitely didn't come up!" she gasped out before she was overtaken again with a bout of giggles.

"So what words did you three use to describe us?" Ron asked with a mischievous grin that looked a lot like his sister's.

Taylor's face turned bright red and she looked away. There was no possible way she could tell her brother they had been talking about kissing! And… her face turned even redder, if that was possible.

"You know mate, I think our witches have been talking about us in a most embarrassing way!" Ron said looking over at Harry and then back at the witch.

"What are you three doing? Are you picking on poor Taylor?" Ginny's voice called as she made her way towards them from down by the lake, with a grin.

Harry glanced up at his girlfriend and smiled at her. He could see her eyes dancing mischievously and had the distinct feeling she had somehow overheard what had been said.

"They are!" Taylor said with a relieved grin. She was good at comebacks usually but she was all together too embarrassed right now to think of one.

Ginny shook her head and tisked as she sat down on the blanket. "Shame on you! You shouldn't pick on poor Taylor. Besides we were just talking about the different kissing techniques the three of you employed."

All three Gryffindors turned bright red, "Ginny!" their voices all rang. The Head Boy chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the discomfort all three were displaying.

"I thought we should swap, you know so we had a better base as to compare notes." Ginny said with an air of innocence.

"Yeah and I said you had to kiss Ron first!" Taylor put in heatedly trying to embarrass the other witch.

"Yeah, you did…" Ginny said as she gave her brother a calculating look as if she was possibly contemplating it.

Harry's eyes went round and he sat up fast, disbelief written all over his face that his witch would even for a moment think of kissing another wizard.

Ron's face went the other way, bright red but completely disgusted as he stuttered, "Bloody hell! That is just… bloody sodding disgusting! Are you barmy? Gross!"

The Hufflepuff couldn't help it, the look on the two Gryffindor wizard's faces was too much and he laughed, his whole body shaking with it.

Taylor turned around to look at the Hufflepuff and shook her head.

"I wouldn't laugh Greg, I challenged Taylor to kiss Harry," Ginny said coyly.

Taylor's head whipped around to stare at the other witch, "Ginny!" she gasped and then she glanced at her brother, and saw his eyes look at her in surprise and then his face screwed up about like Ron's had and he said, "No! Absolutely not! That is just… Revolting!"

"Ginevra Weasley! I thought you came to help me, not mortify me even worse! I think I'd rather kiss the giant squid than Harry or Ron!" Taylor shot back as she made a horrible face.

The Hufflepuff had stopped laughing and his eyes had narrowed but he had no doubt believing the reaction of the dark haired Gryffindor wizard and his witch. There definitely was no attraction there to kiss one another.

"Hey!" Ron called out, "I've never had any complaints about my kissing!"

"You obviously haven't heard Lav Lav!" Taylor said and then she laughed at the look on his face.

"Okay! Enough talk about kissing!" Harry growled. He was not comfortable with this line of talking especially with his girlfriend and little sister present.

"I think that might be a good idea," Greg said carefully as he pulled Taylor back against his side.

Ginny grinned but she settled next to Harry who immediately wrapped his arm around her waist possessively.

"I thought you came out here with your friends?" Taylor asked from her comfortable position.

"I did but they ran into a couple of guys from Ravenclaw and well, I spotted you four. I thought I'd grace you with my presence." Ginny replied with a grin.

"It had nothing to do with your boyfriend being here I suppose?" Taylor asked with a grin of her own.

It wasn't long, as they talked about classes, that the slight tension that had arisen disappeared again and the group laughed and carried on easily. All too soon it seemed to the seventh years that the sun started its descent towards the horizon and they had to head back into the castle for supper and then studying once again.

Making their way slowly back to the castle, the two couples holding hands, Taylor asked, "So what are we doing tomorrow? Other than studying of course. I don't know about you guys but I can only study for so long before my brain goes to mush."

"And here I always thought you were so studious. You always used to study about like Hermione!" Ron teased.

"Well, yeah… but that was before the Hufflepuff corrupted me." Taylor said off handedly.

Harry turned to his sister and raised his eyebrow but she just grinned at him, and he shook his head, "I think we had better have a meeting and talk about a few things. Say around two in the ROR?"

Taylor groaned, "Why does it have to be in the castle? Do you have any idea how much time I've spent in this place the past few weeks? What's wrong with fresh air? Sunlight?" She caught sight of her brother's face and sighed, "Fine! But I get to decide on the room!" she all but pouted.

"Sounds good to me," Greg nodded as he squeezed his witch's hand and winked down at her.

Sunday afternoon a little after two the five Gryffindors and Hufflepuff sat in a very different looking Room of Requirements. It looked similar to the Divination classroom they'd had when Firenze the centaur had been their teacher, with what looked like trees and grass all around a small clearing and sun shifting down through the leaves on the trees.

The portrait of Dumbledore was enlarged to nearly life size and his voice was clear as he spoke, asking them all how their studying was going. Hermione grumbled a little about how far behind in their revision table they were but the portrait smiled indulgently at the frazzled looking Head Girl and she seemed to relax just a little.

"Well that brings us to one of the reasons we are all here, to talk about destroying the last two Horcruxes that you have. Am I correct?" The painting asked as his painted blue eyes peered over his painted half-moon glasses.

"Well yeah, that was one of the things I thought we should talk about," Harry began as he nodded, "plus we need to start thinking about where the other two are. We suspect Nagini as one of those, the other I don't really have any ideas. Do you think there are any more artifacts from the founders that we should be looking for?"

"None that I am aware of, I am afraid. I think you should also start thinking about what is going to happen after the Horcruxes are all destroyed." Dumbledore's voice was heavy as he imparted this suggestion.

There was a few moments of silence before Harry spoke again, his voice low but determined, "Well that just stands to reason. I'm going to have to face him."

Taylor was immediately on her feet and she began to pace restlessly. The Hufflepuff watched her but the others were used to Taylor's aversion to this part, not that they liked or agreed with it, they just weren't pacers like the shorthaired, redheaded witch.

"Yes, however the place and the time are entirely of our choosing. I am positive Voldemort has yet to discover that any of his Horcruxes are missing let alone destroyed."

"So Harry has to decide where to fight Vol-Voldemort? It should be here at Hogwarts!" Ron said with a decisive nod.

"Here at the school? What about the students? If Voldemort comes he won't come alone! A lot of innocent people could die! No we need to figure out a place where innocent people won't be hurt." Hermione said as she thought about it.

"While I agree with you to an extent Miss Granger, I'm afraid there is nowhere that you can insure no innocents will be hurt. As you said, Voldemort would not come alone. He has amassed quite a following over the last year. The Manticore that attacked the school was but one of the many magical creatures he has managed to coerce or manipulate into following his orders. The place that you are to meet him Harry, needs to be as well thought out as the way in which you meet him. We cannot leave anything to chance. You will only get one opportunity to do this. Once Voldemort realizes his Horcruxes are gone he will indubitably make more. The consequences of that could be catastrophic." Dumbledore's voice was calm as he spoke but his blue painted eyes were piercing as they peered over the painted glasses.

Taylor paced as she listened, fear ate at her. She couldn't let her brother face Voldemort alone, no matter what a stupid prophecy said. Dumbledore and Hermione were discussing possible places for this battle. There weren't many to pick from. Someplace open like the huge moor where the Quidditch World Cup had taken place wouldn't do because it would give Voldemort too much room to maneuver his masses.

They had limited numbers on their side that they could call on to fight. The six of them, well five, Harry would never let Ginny go anywhere she'd get hurt. Taylor pursed her lips, four of them, she had no intention of letting the tall Hufflepuff get too close and get hurt either. So it was down to the four of them. She knew it wasn't like she wanted Hermione and Ron to get hurt but they were like her, they'd follow Harry to the ends of the earth if they had too.

So that left the four of them and however many witches and wizards were in the Order of the Phoenix, maybe three or four dozen? Fifty-two against a veritable army… Taylor ran a hand up through her hair, the odds were… overwhelming.

"Oi Taylor!"

Looking over where the others sat, she knew she had been lost in thought and had completely missed what was being said.

"Miss Porter what are your feelings as to where the fight might take place?" Dumbledore's painting asked shrewdly.

Taylor took a deep breath as her feet started to move once again, "It needs to be someplace where great numbers aren't going to be an immediate advantage." She said slowly as she thought. "If we can somehow lure old Voldy out away from his Death Eaters… It will give Harry the best chance. Cut the head off the snake the snake dies. Harry kills Voldemort the rest will fall."

"You've given this some thought," the Head Boy said quietly.

Taylor looked over at him and could see his eyes were suddenly guarded. "I've had a long time to think about it."

"A very good idea Miss Porter," Dumbledore said earnestly.

They spent a while longer talking about a place but none really came to mind other then Hogwarts, and none were keen to go that route with all the innocent students.

It was nearing suppertime and they were about to start packing up. Harry had brought Hermione's hand bag with all their stuff in it and they'd taken the tent out and set it up after a while and looked at the Dark Magic books again as well as the Horcruxes themselves.

"Harry, where's Gryffindor's sword?" Ron asked as he looked around inside the tent.

"It's still in Hermione's handbag. I didn't take it out." Harry called from outside.

"Why didn't you return it anyway?" Ginny asked as she picked up one of the Dark Magic books she'd been reading, after Taylor used the spell to change the writing to English.

"We thought it might come in handy," Harry answered with a shrug.

The swish and scrape of metal hitting something was immediately followed by a high pitched wail that had the three witches and two wizards outside the tent rushing to look inside. What they saw was a very surprised, but pleased looking Ron holding Godric Gryffindor's sword and on the table was Rowena Ravenclaw's tiara cleaved in two.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped.

"Bloody hell mate!" Harry exclaimed as a grin erased the stunned look that had been there. "What made you think to try that?"

Ron shrugged as his ears turned a little red, "I just thought, well it killed a basilisk and a Manticore it just might a Horcrux right?"

"Right because a horcrux and a living animal are so close!" Ginny said a little angrily.

Taylor palmed her wand and after a second the combined Dark and Light Magic spell rolled off her tongue as she moved her wand. No thin trace of green smoke came from the tiara. "They might not be close but the sword did it. The Horcrux is destroyed."

"Do you think it will work on the locket too?" Hermione asked as she cocked her head thinking.

"I don't see why not." Taylor said as she looked closely at the tiara. "Here, we might as well give it a try." Taylor reached down and picked up the silver locket and set it on the table. A strange shiver traveled up her spin and she backed away from it. "Just make sure you do what ever you did last time." She cautioned.

The Hufflepuff shook his head. In his opinion the Gryffindors were way too reckless. He remembered all to well what had happened the last time the other five had tried to destroy the Horcruxes. With a degree of apprehension he watched as Weasley lifted the silver sword over his head and swung at the locket on the table. This time there was a more solid sounding thud and then a high piercing wail as acidic smoke curled up from the broken locket.

The others were talking excitedly but the Head Boy watched as his witch carefully approached the broken locket, like she had the tiara, and muttering words he couldn't quite make out she waved her wand over it. Nothing happened. He saw her nod.

"We have two Horcruxes to go."

A/N First of all I want to say that I hope if you didn't know what a broom bunny was that you do now! ;) I really enjoyed writting that bit of lightness and I thought it was a much needed break not only for Taylor(after her detentions) but the others as well. There are dark times coming and they needed that bit of fun. Poor Hermione was too stuck in her revision to have some!lol! As for the second half of this chapter well a lot happened in it. I never was comfortable with the fight happening at Hogwarts when I read that so this was my way of airing that concern. Plus now the two horcruxes that they have are now distroyed and they can start to think about the last two... When I wrote this I tried very hard to not let the seventh book influence what I wrote. Hopefully you enjoyed.

I want to thank all of you who left a review! I really apperciate all of them! As well to all of you who Alerted and Favorited this story! And for just reading! I know the chapters are coming a little slower, I'm sorry! But summer is a very busy time for both me and my beta! So I will get the chapters out as often as I can! I PROMISE this story will be finished! Well until next time, cytpotter.