I do not own Harry Potter, But I do win at my weekly quiz quite a bit, so there is that…
Chapter 19 lazy hazy crazy days of summer
In the days following the meeting with Bones, summer was winding down, Harry and Hermione submerged themselves in the muggle world spending more time with Mr and Mrs Granger. Trips to the cinema, dinners out, afternoons playing miniature golf and ice creams in the park were the norm. The young couple's relationship deepened as they spent more time together and they reached an understanding of each other.
True to her word Amelia Bones shared Harrys' memory with several high-ranking members of the Wizengamot and experts in the legal profession managed to arrange an acquittal under the radar of Minister Fudge. With the man hunt over Sirius would be able to take up his mantel as head of the antient and noble house of Black at the next Wizengamot session.
Harry and Hermione's physical relationship had somewhat stalled out of respect for Mr Granger and his trust in them. Harry resolutely refused to go much further than some heavy petting and a bit of above the clothes, above the belt touching. Often, they woke up entwined and embarrassed about each other's arousal, but Hermione understood Harrys feelings on the matter and didn't want to push him too far. It was in such an instance that a large black dog found them curled around each other in the middle of the night just two days before they were to return to Hogwarts. The dog growled slightly and pulled the sheet of the sleeping pair and gave Harrys' foot a lick.
"Wazzit?" Harry snorted sitting up. "Sirius?" He demanded.
Before his eyes, the black dog shimmered and turned into Sirius before his eyes. "Get dressed quick." Sirius whispered. "There's activity at the Dursleys."
Harry climbed out of bed careful, to not disturb Hermione and quickly threw on a pair of black jogging bottoms and a sweatshirt. He went to wake Hermione, but Sirius shook his head.
"Best not, we don't have much time." Sirius told him. "Leave her a note."
Harry nodded and moved to the desk, found a note pad and a pencil.
Hermione,
Sirius told me not to wake you, I have to go to Privet Drive. I will be home soon
Love Harry
"She is going to be fucking pissed." Harry muttered as he put the note on the table next to Hermione.
"Got your wand?" Sirius asked. Harry nodded. "Take this." Sirius handed him a length of rope. "Portkey." He added. Sirius took the other end of the rope and they were whisked away.
Four newly recruited Death Eaters had been sent to the Dursleys home as part of their first assignment. If they managed to kill the muggles then they would have earned their newly branded Dark Mark's, if they were captured they were so new to the Death Eater ranks they didn't know anything or if they failed in some other way then they didn't deserve their Dark Marks in the first place. Once the four Death Eaters, all of whom were in their mid-twenties and low-level criminals, mostly enforcers of the magical narcotics trade, apparated on Privet Drive. The Order was alerted and one of its operatives erected wards to keep the Death Eaters contained, meanwhile a second operative retreated to Mrs Figgs' house on Mongolia Crescent to alert the fighting force that would soon assemble there.
All in all it took just twenty minutes for the six man team to assemble at Mrs Figgs' house under the command of Alister Moody. "All right." Moody began. "I want this nice and clean. There are six of us. Tonks, Lupin and Bill Weasley, you will go in the front door. Blast it off its bloody hinges and head straight up the stairs and secure the top floor. Stun any god damn thing that moves." He ordered. "Black, Potter and I will nip around the back of the house and go in via the back door and clear the ground floor. Any questions?"
"Mad-Eye?" Harry asked. "There are two back doors. There is a conservatory built into the dining room."
"Bugger." Moody muttered. "Right then, I will go in the back door. You and Black breach this conservatory. Everyone clear?" Everyone nodded. "Right then, let's go." Mad eye lead them out of Mrs Figgs' house and they quickly moved towards privet drive. Once they got a few doors away Moody waved them to a halt. "Lupin take point of your team and head to the front door, if these punks are halfway competent, they will have realised they are trapped, and they will be ready for us. When you get to the front door give us two minutes to get into position, breach the door and go in. don't wait for us."
"Got it Mad Eye." Lupin said.
"Right, Black, Potter, we will go around the back gardens from this house. When we go in rain down fucking thunder on any one in there. Do not stop. Do not hesitate understand Potter?"
"Yes sir!" Harry nodded.
"Good, silence from now on. Remember Lupin, two minutes." Moody lead Sirius and Harry around the back of number 1 Privet Drive and with agility that should be beyond a man of his years climbed over the back fences and they were soon into position.
Moody held up five fingers and slowly lowered them one and at a time. When all the fingers where lowered Harry pointed his wand at the conservatory doors. "Bombarda!" He cast, the glass shattered, and he ran in ahead of Sirius. The dining room was clear and there was one death eater in the lounge a quick stunner from Sirius took care of him. Harry led the way into the front hall and then into the kitchen where a death eater was standing over a downed Mad Eye Moody about to cast the killing curse.
"Diffindo." Harry cast slicing the arm of the death eater off.
"Stupefy." Sirius cast over Harrys' shoulder stunning the death eater.
"Clear!" Sirius shouted.
"Upstairs is clear!" Lupin replied. "Two prisoners, no casualties." He reported.
"We're going to need some blood replenisher down here." Sirius called before turning to Harry. "What the fuck was that?" he demanded.
"That guy was about to kill Mad Eye; I couldn't let that happen." Harry replied turning his attention to a shell-shocked Moody.
"In fifty years, no one has ever managed to lay a wand on me and that prick nearly did me in."
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"I bloody tripped over the door frame when I blasted it and he caught me with, of all things, a fucking leg locker." Moody replied and looked at his assailant for the first time. "Thank you, Potter."
"Any time sir. So, what happens now?" Harry asked helping Moody to his feet.
"Weasley, send word to Mrs. Figg, we need recovery for four prisoners. Lupin secure the perimeter; Black let's get these doors fixed." Everyone moved around fulfilling Moody's orders. "Tonks you can take three of them into the Ministry, revive them one at a time, arrest them, then re-stun them. But I want this bastard." He nodded to the one-handed Death Eater. "So, the order can interrogate them. Tell Amelia she can have him when we are done with them."
"Aye Sir!" Tonks responded, clearly used to taking orders.
"You did well Potter, but we need to get you out of here before anyone else shows up. Take this." Moody handed Harry a plate from the cupboard. "Portus." He cast and Harry was returned to the Grangers.
The port key deposited Harry back in his room about two and a half hours after he left it. Hermione was sat at the desk, his note in her hand and she looked mad.
"Two hours!" she began. "Two sodding hours I have sat here waiting for you."
"Hermione I'm sorry. Sirius said…" Harry began.
"Oh, sod Sirius!" Hermione interrupted. "You should have woken me up to tell me that you were leaving."
"You're right I'm sorry…" Harry tried again.
"You're god damn right you're sorry!" Hermione snapped. "I am not going to play the dutiful housewife and wait at home raising your children while you piss off doing god knows what, god knows where!"
"Raising children?" Harry asked confused.
"Well yes." Hermione said briskly. "If we get married, I assume we would have children."
"Married?" Harry asked even more confused.
"Yes, Harry married." Hermione said raising her hand to show him the promise ring. "I assume that's what you had in mind when you made this ring for me. But if this is the way you are going to treat me, I don't know if I want it!"
"You don't want it?"
"Not if you're going to piss off and leave to sit here worrying about you!" Hermione raged. "We are supposed to be partners for fuck sake Harry! Equals!"
"We are partners Hermione." Harry said. "Without you I would be still be the Dursleys. I would probably be dead."
"Partners do not sneak off in the middle of the night without so much as a note!" Hermione said.
"I did leave a not!" Harry argued.
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Hermione screamed. "I'm going to bed; I will see you in the morning." Hermione left Harrys room for her own.
A thoroughly confused Harry got ready for bed and for the first time in weeks he went to sleep alone.
"Fools!" Voldemort snapped. "They have been captured by Dumbledore?"
"Arrested by the Ministry My Lord." LeStrange told him.
Voldemort paced the length of his chamber and back again.
"What did they know?" he demanded.
"Nothing My Lord." Wormtail said. "I thought it best to send recruits as part of their initiation."
"Four death eaters should have been more than a match for three muggles." Voldemort agreed. "Very well, Bellatrix how fairs our quest?"
"Severus reports some progress My Lord, but he has said he wishes some more time to verify his sources before he makes his report to you." LeStrange told him.
"Very well." Voldemort nodded. This was too important for rash action. "Get word to him. Tell him he has a week."
"Consider it done My Lord."
It has long been believed that people who have been arrested by the Aurors are taken to the Ministry of Magic for processing, questioning and held in custody there. This is a fallacy. Prisoners are taken to disused London Underground stations. This morning Auror Tonks brought hers to Tower of London where an Auror Sargent sat behind a desk.
"Name?" The Sargent demanded.
"Unknown sarge." Tonks replied. "I've arrested these three for death eater activity, breaking and entering a muggle abode and for resisting arrest."
"Is that a fact?" The Sargent asked. "And who are you?"
"Auror Tonks, Sarge." Tonks replied. "Listen Sarge, this a bit of a hush hush operation. Eyes only sort of thing."
"Right so who do you need to get down here?"
"The Director!" Tonks said.
If the Sargent was surprised, he didn't show it as he stood and moved around the desk. He took the death eaters wands from Tonks and dutifully logged into evidence, searched each man thoroughly and placed them in separate cells.
"There is a writing room through there Tonks." The Sargent said. "Get started on the paperwork, I will get in touch with the Directors Office."
"Thanks, Sarge." Tonks nodded and left to do the worst part of any law enforcement officers duty, the dreaded paperwork.
The Sargent waited for the door to the writing room to close before he quickly made his own report for Madam Bones and attached it to an owl that flew along the long abandoned underground track to the Ministry of Magic. He then moved to the fireplace behind him, with a silent jab of his wand lit a fire and threw a pinch of floo powder in it "Dolores Umbridge." He called before sticking his head into the green flame.
Harry woke up alone and felt utterly depressed. He knew he had hurt Hermione badly, but he didn't understand why. All he did was follow instructions from his Godfather. If Hermione was mad at anyone, she should be mad at Sirius. There was a soft knock at the door and Hermione came in carrying a cup of tea.
"It's nearly noon." Hermione said putting the tea down on his desk. "Look, Harry about last night."
"I'm sorry I left without you Hermione." Harry apologised. "Sirius told me we didn't have a lot of time and we had to go right then."
"But you had time to write that note Harry." Hermione told him. "If you had time to write you had time to speak. Look Harry, I know you were just doing as you were told, but remember you are in command! And I know that I can't go with you every time, but I want you to tell me that you are going. You owe me that much at least."
"All right." Harry agreed. "You're right, I will always make time to tell you what's happening." He promised.
"That's all I ask." The couple embraced and all was right with them again.
The following morning Harry and Hermione arrived at Kings cross station with the Granger's. They waited at the barrier between platforms nine and ten.
"Have a good term." Mrs Granger said while hugging Harry. "I know you want to go to your new house for Christmas, but you are welcome to stay with us."
"I was going to invite you both to stay for the Christmas Holidays." Harry smiled. "I have plenty of room."
"Well then, that sounds lovely." Mr Granger said with a smile shaking Harry's hand. "You look after our Hermione you hear?" he said.
"You can bet your life I will try." Harry grinned. "Before we go Mr and Mrs Granger, I just wanted to say thank you for having me this summer. I really apricate everything you have done for me."
"I think we are past Mr and Mrs Granger Harry." Mrs Granger said. "Feel free to call us by our first names."
"All right then Emma." Harry said.
"Write to us." Mr Granger said. "Both of you."
With a final round of hugs and handshakes, Harry and Hermione crossed the barrier between magical and muggle worlds into platform nine and three quarters. Once they were on the platform, they quickly made their way to the express to find their seats in the perfects compartment. They still had not forgiven the Weasleys outburst at Harrys birthday party and were keen to avoid Mrs Weasley in particular. They found their seats and waited as the other perfects came in. They exchanged pleasantries and handshakes while they waited for the train to leave.
At three minutes to 11 Dolores Umbridge lead two aurors into the compartment. "There she is auror." Umbridge said pointing to Hermione. "Do your duty and arrest her. Be quick about it the train will be leaving any moment."
The two aurors moved towards Hermione. Harry tried to stand in their way, but Hermione pushed him to one side shaking her head.
"Miss Hermione Granger." The auror said. "It is my duty to arrest you under suspicion of muggle baiting. You do not have to say anything but anything you do say can be used against you in court. You have the right to a solicitor present while being questioned and if you cannot afford a solicitor one will be provided for you."
"My solicitor is Edward Tonks." Hermione said.
"Very well miss." The second auror said taking hold of Hermione's arm. "This way please."
Umbridge smiling from ear to ear lead the way off the train. No sooner had they reached the platform the trains whistle blew and the express pulled out of the station bound for Hogsmeade.
Authers Notes: It's time once again for the dreaded Authers Notes. I hope every one is having a good week and you are all happy and healthy.
Thank you as ever to my Beta Gin-Sensu, who continues to work really hard on making my writeing presentable.
Thank you to every one who has liked and faverated me. I truly appreciate all of those emails.
Jkarr: Thanks for your review. Sirius got his trial and official parden off screen, I did plan on including it in the actual story but when I tried to write it, I just wasn't happy with it.
Bones71: Thank you so much for the review, I am glad you have found us and that you are enjoying the story. I am so sorry to hear that you where ill with Covid, but I am very pleased to read that you have managed to get thru it and are recovering. Please pass my best wishes to your husband I hope he gets well soon.
Karatekid-Ninja: Thanks for your review. I have enjoyed writeing Amila. I think she is a good charictor to add a bit of comic relief because we haven't seen to much of her in cannon.
Dean: Thanks for reading. In this case I got the Fortriss of Solitude from Superman.
That about wraps it up for this chapter, next chapter which is at the Beta stage will take us on the Hogwarts express. Summer is FINALLY over! Until next time stay safe, stay healthy and stay home!