A/N: Still Tweaking :D

Chapter 12

Preparations

To Harry and Hermione, it seemed as if their one success was enough to push the professors to training them more relentlessly. Their day was packed with things to wear them out. Even the typically jovial nature of Headmaster turned in to a somber one as the days passed by. He was never compromising when it came to their preparation. He regularly rammed in to their occlumency shields, almost always when they least expected it or when they were bone-tired from all the physical training they had with Snape.

And that itself was another story. Self defense lessons with Snape were taking toll on their body. It was not just confined to offensive and defensive magic, but hand-to-hand combat, as well as knives. Both Snape and Harry were barely civil to each other, yet both acquired a grudging respect to each other. But Snape and Hermione were another story. The two intellectuals had taken with each other, after the initial barrier. Their evenings were spent having tea and debating the latest potions journal. Snape was especially cordial to Hermione because of her affinity towards the plants – She brought to him hard to obtain plant portions for his store. Well what did you expect; he's a Slytherin after all.

Their animagus training, though grueling, was fun to them. They learned that they could turn in to other animals too. Fawkes had happily taken Harry as his protégée. Hermione had the head of Hogwarts' Unicorn Herd helping her. Harry could turn himself in to a black owl with the greenest eyes and Hermione in to a small brown bushy furred fox. Prof. McGonagall was happy with their progress so far.

Madame Pomfrey was delighted to find Harry's ability in healing. She had never had such a gifted student before. The main benefit to Harry's training was when they adjoined in the common room after training, all the bruises and scars could be removed without much ado.

One evening, after another day of grueling training, they got a letter from Ron, brought by a twittering pigwidgeon. They were very miserable lying to him and it finally seemed like here was the answer to their problems.

Dear Harry & Hermione,

Did Pig reach you both? Or was he waylaid by a juicy treat…. I keep on telling mum and dad to give him away on charity, it's not as if he is of any use!

Dumbles told me everything. You both needn't worry so much. I'm not gonna jump of the gun or something. Yeah yeah I agree it took a lot of time to come in to terms with what's happening. But with the not so subtle nudge from my dear sister here, I finally accepted the truth.

Hey guys, I'm really gonna miss you two. Dumbles told you wouldn't come back, since the future would have drastically changed for you both to "assimilate" or something, whatever that is…. I just hope this clueless red haired freckled jumbo would still be in your minds from time to time.

Love, Ron

P.S. Ginny said to tell you Harry, find any girl other than our Grandma.

Harry and Hermione were unsure as to whether laugh or cry. Leave it up to Ron to make it sound like he was not significant at all. The golden trio felt bereft to think let alone do something without one of their counterparts. They were prevented from further musings when Dumbledore called them to his Office. They found him sitting somberly, hands knitted under his chin.

"Ready?"

"Ready? Are we leaving? Like now?"

Dumbledore got up, slowly made his way to the window and stared at the sunset.

"The sun is setting, you two. It's a new moon tonight. The veil of darkness that covers our lands conquers the sky tonight."

Dumbledore's gaze deepened. It seemed to the two that he was looking at something far beyond the setting sun. A smile slowly blossomed on Dumbledore's lips. Yes, he had found whatever that he was looking for. He shifted his gaze slowly, still smiling, to Harry and Hermione.

"But it is from this darkest of nights that a new sun reveals itself, with a light and warmth far greater than the previous one, for it is the degree of sadness that determines the degree of happiness that follows."

The warmth of Dumbledore's smile seemed to be pouring inside them, cheering them on, and clearing all the buried doubts. It surged through their insides, and slowly made its way to their lips. Finally, it was there, Dumbledore's smile was now being reflected in his pupils' face. They were ready, and they knew it. The smile staying constant, he walked toward them.

"Time is not like a river, flowing endlessly in one direction, like most believe. It is an ocean, vast and turbulent. We are being dragged along in one of the many currents that are within it. It is on a new moon that this ocean is most tranquil, and it is at this state that we must push you off our current, and onto another."

He finished just at the moment he reached them. His gaze steadily at them, he put his arms on each of their shoulders.

"There is nothing more to teach, you two. I know we've been rough on you, but you've made all of us proud, each step of the way. Shine bright like the sun where you're going, so that I can feel that light when I look upon the moon here. After all, it is the light of sun that the moon reflects."

He patted their shoulders, and then turned back to his chair.

"Be back here by midnight. Pack whatever you think fit. You've got a whole new world to look forward to…"