harry potter and the power within by julia potter

written: 2004.07.11 last updated: 2005.07.22 (106027 total words)

chapter 1 : the grieving of harry potter

chapter 1: the grieving of harry potter

the stars shown bright that night on privet drive, each displaying their natural
beauty as if they were putting on a show for all the world to see. not
to be outdone by the stars, the planets also were proving their worth, mars was a
brilliant red while the cool blue of venus would amaze even the most
novice of star gazers. however, it seemed that only one person had taken noticed
of the spectacle above, a slender boy with wire rimed glasses and black
messy hair had his head resting upon his hands hopelessly looking for the answers
to all his problems, for this boy was a spectacle all in himself. his
sparkling emerald eyes glistened in the dark and the outline of a lighting bolt
could be seen through the threads of hair that rested on his forehead.
for this was no ordinary boy, this was the boy who lived, the boy for whom the
entire wizarding world would look to for hope, and the boy who felt the
most alone.

it had been two weeks since harry had joined the dursley's back at number four
privet drive but it also had been two weeks since harry saw his godfather
sirius fall behind the veil in the ministry of magic. not a day had gone by that
harry wasn't haunted by some image that took place that night. the moment
he realized he'd walked into a trap, the fight between the order and the death
eaters, and seeing dumbledore and voldemort duel. as much as he thought
about all these elements only two caused harry pain. seeing sirius fall behind the
veil and the few moments harry thought he'd lost hermione forever. harry
was not yet sixteen but he carried the burden of someone three times his age, but
this night was different. harry wasn't thinking of sirius or hermione
or even the prophecy, all he could think of was his parents and how much he wished
they were alive. how he wished he could talk to them for advise or just
have them listen while he talked about the responsibility he carried, but most of
all harry just wanted someone to hug him and tell him everything will
be okay. he had been sitting by the window for over an hour just staring up at the
sky. he didn't know why he woke up in the middle of the night; all he
knew was that he needed to be sitting by that window watching the midsummer night.

without warning harry felt the need to speak, not to anyone or anything in
particular but just out loud. "mum, dad . . ." harry trailed off. "what am i
suppose to do? why did i have to be the boy who lived? why couldn't it have been
neville?" harry immediately knew the answer to that question. although
neville showed an extreme amount of courage that night in the ministry he still
was not strong enough to face voldemort. harry's thoughts then drifted
to sirius, "please tell sirius i'm sorry," harry half choked. he could feel the
rush of emotions begin to overwhelm him but for some reason tonight he
wasn't going to fight it. tonight harry was finally going to grieve for everyone
he had lost and for all the pain he had caused. "it's all my fault," harry
quietly sobbed. "people have died and will die because of me . . . because i
wasn't strong enough . . . because i didn't listen." harry continued. harry
was now rocking back and forth with his head in his hands and his chest heaving up
and down with every sob. the tears of sorrow and pain flowed down his
face freely and began to soak his flushed cheeks.

in a stone tower far away from the likes of privet drive and old wizard lye awake
in his bed with silent tears of his own. for he could feel the youths
pain and was powerless to do anything. in his mind he was responsible for causing
harry so much heartache so soon in life. if he had only come clean with
him and told him of the prophecy from the beginning maybe then things would be
different, but the old wizard with the half moon glasses could not dwell
in the past. it was a luxury he couldn't afford and with that he slowly got out of
bed and head down to his office to plan how he could help mr. potter.
as he entered the familiar office a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"the time will come for all the houses to unite, and the heir of godric gryffindor
must lead this force into battle against the heir of salazar slytherin,"
the old sorting hat said. "for the only true weapon the young gryffindor can use
is that of love . . . the love of family, the love of a friend, and the
most powerful of all, the undying love of another. for it's in these values that
slytherin knows not and this will be his undoing," the hat continued.

the old wizard smiled, "yes your right, it is time to help harry prepare." with
that dumbledore called for his phoenix. "fawkes my dear friend take this
portkey to harry," without hesitation the phoenix flew to a nearby window and
pushed it open with its beak. dumbledore followed and paused for a moment
at the window, "everything will be okay harry, everything will be okay," the old
wizard softly spoke and as he finished, the wind that whipped around the
old castle changed direction and headed for privet drive.

harry's water filled eyes intensely searched the sky above for answers to all his
questions; he didn't even blink for fear that he would miss a sign or
a message from the havens themselves. at that moment harry felt a warm breeze
envelop him and as if his headmaster was sitting right next to him harry
could hear his words of comfort. with that harry slowly made his way to the
bathroom and washed his face and had a drink of water. he lay back down on
his bed and for the first time in two weeks slept soundly through the rest of the
night.

chapter 2 : beginning a new

chapter 2: beginning a new

harry awoke the next morning to the soft knocking on his door.

�harry, it�s time for breakfast,� an excited dudley exclaimed. harry looked
quizzically at the door. was he hearing things? did his cousin just invite him
to breakfast?

�harry?� a touch of concern in dudley�s voice.

�coming dud�s,� an even more confused harry responded. within the past week uncle
vernon and dudley had become overly accommodating towards harry. there
was even a moment at dinner a few nights prior that harry and aunt petunia gave
each others looks of confusion over the behavioral change. harry just assumed
that mad eye and remus had given them quite the talking too. he threw on a t-shirt
and running pants and made his way down towards the kitchen.

�ah harry my boy, how are you feeling this morning?� a chipper uncle vernon asked
as harry entered the kitchen.

�uh, alright i guess,� harry said. for the first time in a while harry did
actually feel okay. the night before was a cleansing experience of sorts he had
let everything go and he felt good about it, but he made a mental note to not let
it happen that often.
�eggs harry?� asked dudley.

�um, yes please,� harry said unsure of what to expect. a plate filled to the brim
of eggs, beacon, toast and sausage was placed before him. harry�s eyes
shoot back up towards uncle vernon who also had a huge plate in front of him.
�don�t worry about waiting for dudley and petunia, he�s still on his diet and she
eats like a bird,� uncle vernon said while stuffing his mouth full of
food. harry couldn�t believe what he was hearing but rather then argue he was
going to have as much food as possible before he woke up from whatever dream
he was in.

it was a quite breakfast and harry was already on his second helping before uncle
vernon broke the silence. �well petunia, i think we should take harry
and dudley shopping tomorrow. they�re going to need more clothing for school and
both seem to be growing out of their present cloths.� harry hadn�t notice
but his t-shirt and running pants did look a tad small for him.

�uncle vernon . . .� harry spoke quietly. �i don�t have any money, i�d have to
stop by the wizards bank in london.� he thought for sure the mention of his
magical world would cause uncle vernon�s new attitude to change, but he did not
want to go to the store and not be able to get anything.

�don�t worry about a thing, consider it an early birthday present,� said uncle
vernon. harry nearly choked on the last bite of food he was eating. did uncle
vernon just say birthday present? in all his time at the dursley�s he had never
received a present of any kind, christmas or birthday. harry felt a little
uneasy and decided to head back upstairs and get some studying done.

�well thank you very much uncle vernon. what time should i be ready tomorrow?�
asked harry.

�oh i�d say about 10, does that sound good to you petunia?� asked uncle vernon to
a still surprised aunt petunia, all she could do was nod her head. �wonderful
. . . oh don�t worry about your plate harry, dudley can get it.� harry just
shrugged his shoulders and headed towards the stairs. he started to climb them
when he heard his aunt begin to question uncle vernon on his behavior towards
harry.

�vernon what has gotten into you? why are you being so nice to the boy?� asked
aunt petunia.

�petunia we only have to deal with him for a couple more weeks, and then only one
more summer and he�s out of our lives forever.� a giddy uncle vernon squealed.
now harry understood what was going on, and just as he felt himself getting mad
about it a thought crept into his head. he could use this to his advantage,
see how far the kindness will go and tomorrow will be a perfect time to test his
theory out. now happy with himself harry continued up the stairs and into
his room.

he opened the door to find a marvelous red phoenix perched beside hedwig,
clutching what looked like a letter from dumbledore. �fawkes, why did dumbledore
send you?� harry asked as he began to reach for the letter. as soon as harry
touched it he felt the familiar tug on his bellybutton. dumbledore had sent
a portkey and before harry knew it he was lying on the floor of the headmasters
office.

�hello harry,� said dumbledore. �sorry i couldn�t warn you about the portkey. i
was hoping you might be able to open the letter before it became active,
but obviously you didn�t have time,� dumbledore said, glancing towards harry�s
bare feet.

�uh yeah i just finished breakfast,� harry said as he grew a little red in the
cheeks. there was an awkward silence that followed, harry had not seen dumbledore
since his talk with him in this very room two weeks prior. harry still hadn�t
worked out his feeling for his headmaster, at some points he was mad and
others extremely sad that dumbledore had chosen to ignore him the previous year.
before harry could figure out what emotion to have towards the old wizard,
two arms wrapped their way around harry.

�i wont repeat my mistakes from last year harry, i will be here for you along with
the rest of the order,� whispered dumbledore. for that instant harry
felt safe, and he made up his mind to forgive and forget. he was going to need
dumbledore in his fight against voldemort and every moment he could spend
learning something from his headmaster was another weapon he would have against
the dark lord. the men parted from the hug but not with out a smile passing
between them.

�now harry i brought you here to inform you that two nights from now you will be
escorted to your new home. a home that i might add now belongs to you,�
said dumbledore.

�what home?� asked harry.

�due to the fact that the ministry now recognizes that voldemort has returned, all
documents, personal and professional, must be dealt with in person. personal
items such as someone�s will must now be handled in person at gringotts,� stated
dumbledore. harry now understood what he was trying to say. sirius must
have left him grimmauld place in his will.

�how can i make an appointment to go through . . .� harry stopped he couldn�t say

his name, not yet at least. he had said it last night but only for sirius
to hear. dumbledore sensing harry�s pain decided to step in and answer the
unfinished question.

�you and i have an appointment next week. i was the over seer of sirius�s last
adjustments to the will so i need to be present when they read it.� he paused,
�do you have any other questions harry?� harry shook his head. �wonderful, well i
must be off i have several meetings about getting the school ready for
the upcoming year. whenever you�re ready harry.� dumbledore motioned to the letter
that was sitting on his desk.

�thanks professor,� said harry who was now beaming with the prospect of leaving
the dursley�s early. he slowly reached out and touched the letter and within
moments he landed safely on his bed. one of the more comfortable landings he ever
experienced with a portkey. with a renewed sense of energy harry decided
it was time to crack open the books and get some homework done, all the while
thinking about his new home.

chapter 3 : leaving privet drive for good

chapter 3: leaving privet drive for good

the past day and a half past fairly quick for harry, spending one whole day with
the dursley�s shopping and now packing and making sure everything was ready
for tonight. his trunk was a littler heavier due to the amount of cloths harry
bought the day before. he had considered testing uncle vernon to see just
how generous he would be towards harry but thought against it fearing that if he
pushed uncle vernon too far he�d take away everything he�d already gotten
harry.
it was almost dinnertime and harry was still at the dursley�s, he figured the
order would wait until dark to come and get him. he did one more sweep of
his room to make sure he had everything. harry had the feeling this would be the
last time he would be at the dursley�s and didn�t want to leave anything
behind. if he really inherited grimmauld place then there would be no point of
coming back here next summer. he finished his search and decided it was
time to warn uncle vernon and aunt petunia about the visitors.

�harry its time for dinner!� uncle vernon called.

�coming!� harry yelled from the top of the stairs. he was actually starting to
like the nicer side of uncle vernon and dudley, there were brief moments
when harry felt he was part of a family but those moments wouldn�t last long
because his aunt petunia was still reserved and distant, even more so within
the last day.

dinner was quiet as usual, dudley staring at the tv, aunt petunia just watching
her plate with intense concentration, and uncle vernon stuffing his face
full of food. it had grown dark outside by the time aunt petunia was serving
everyone desert in the living room. harry figured it was time to let them
know about his leaving.

�aunt petunia, uncle vernon,� harry paused. �i want to let you know that i�ll be
leaving tonight. the people you met on the platform will be coming to get
me any time now and i didn�t want you to be startled when they arrived.�

�you�re leaving?! but why, i thought you had to stay because of your aunt and her
connection to your mother,� said uncle vernon.

�how did you know about that?� demanded harry. how could he have known about the
charm, harry had not told him and he was quit sure aunt petunia wouldn�t
want to reveal any connections she had to the wizarding world. harry slowly put
his hand in his pocket to grasp his wand.

�that professor of yours told us about it, that�s why we couldn�t throw you out
last year.� uncle vernon said nervously. something wasn�t right, why would
dumbledore tell his uncle, of all people, about the charm? he glanced over to his
aunt who was stone stiff with fear.

�which professor?� harry cautiously asked while at the same time slowly rising to
his feet. as harry rose from his couch so did dudley and uncle vernon.
harry could sense the two of them trying to corner him, but he couldn�t keep and
eye on both. uncle vernon was straight ahead of him while dudley was directly
to his right and aunt petunia was slowly trying to back into the dinning room.

�well,� uncle vernon started. �i think it was bumble bee, dumble-dee,� he stopped
and starred directly at harry. �i know who it wasn�t . . . it wasn�t that
fool sirius black!�

before harry could react there was a white flash and harry could feel dudley�s
fist connect with his head. his knees began to buckle and he could hear people
laughing at him. but before harry could collect himself, another fist was driven
into his stomach completely knocking the wind out of him and sending harry
to the floor.
�no, don�t hurt him!� screamed aunt petunia.

�oh shut up! we�ll deal with you next!� dudley hissed. harry slowly looked up, he
was still seeing double but could see the figures begin to change their
shape. uncle vernon changed into a man harry recognized from that night at the
ministry; he was the death eater mcnair.

�you should have let sirius kill me that night in the shrieking shack,� the new
voice laughed and harry immediately knew who had taken the form of dudley.

�dudley was the perfect choice for you wormtail, you both posses rat like
qualities,� harry said with a venomous voice. still on all fours harry turned
his head to stare directly into wormtail�s eye. rage was building within him. this
was the man that framed sirius for his own death, which imprisoned sirius
for 13 years. years that harry could have had with his godfather, years that he
could have done without the dursley�s. harry tried to go for his wand but
mcnair kicked him in the head causing harry to lose the little balance he had
left. everything had a white haze to it.

�expelliarmus!� a female voice shouted. harry could hear some one smashing into
the wall behind him. he was on the verge of passing out but tried to hang
on to see who his rescuer was.

� wormtail!� another voice roared.

�ah remus, perhaps we can continue this another day,� said wormtail. and with
that, harry could hear the snaps of the two death eaters apparate.

�we need to get out of here remus, more will be coming now that the charm is
broken,� said a scruffy voice. harry was still faced down on the floor, his
head pounded and he was still fighting to stay awake. he was about to attempt to
push himself up when two soft hands gently rolled him over.

�lumos,� the soft voice whispered. the light wasn�t as harsh as harry thought it
would be but it still blinded him to the person now holding him in their
arms. he tried to focus but all he could make out was an outline of an angelic
face. then an idea crossed harry�s mind. maybe this was his guardian angel
coming to watch over him, maybe he was closer to death then he realized. he felt a
warm smooth hand caress his face, never before had a touch made him
feel so alive. this must be an angel, what else could have this affect on him?

�he�s in pretty bad shape professor. i doubt we can move him,� said the female
voice. without warning harry felt himself being lifted into the air. was
this it, was he dying? before he could dwell on it, he felt a new set of arms now
hold him.

�i will take harry, you three grab all of his belongings, he won�t be returning.
mad eye, charlie and bill, get the real uncle vernon and dudley out of
the attic and get them to a hospital,� said a stoic voice. harry could feel the
person turning around.

�my dear madam, if you�d please follow these gentlemen they�ll take you with them
once they�ve collected your husband and son.� the voice paused and took
a long breath. �this place is no longer safe for your family, once they�ve healed
go into the country, i will contact you when it�s safe to come back.�
harry couldn�t hear the person�s response because the pain in his side grew worse,
causing him to let out a slow moan.
�albus get going, we�ll take care of everything here,� said the scruffy voice.
another wave of pain coursed through harry�s body, the person holding him
tightened their grip and for a second harry felt a very strange sensation but then
it stopped.

�oh my goodness, what happened albus?� an old woman�s voice shrieked.

�i�ll explain later minerva, find poppy and tell her harry has severe head trauma.
once snap is done helping the others at privet drive he�ll start working
on the potions,� said the stoic voice. harry felt himself being carried up a
flight of stairs and moments later being laid upon a bed. he was losing his
battle with unconsciousness but before he blacked out completely he heard the
female voice from before.

�everything will be okay harry, i won�t leave you.�

chapter 4 : a new member

chapter 4: a new member

a thin ray of sunlight slide through the curtains and danced their way over to
harry�s half swollen face accenting the purple and blue that lined the one
side of his face and the more green and yellow that captured the jaw line on the
other. he wasn�t wearing a shirt and bandages covered the majority of
his chest and torso. several veils of potions sat on the table next to the bed,
along with fresh bandages. the room was very still and all that could be
heard was the faint breathing of its inhibitor. the room had been that way for
several days. only when it was time to fix harry�s bandages or to give him
another potion did someone disrupt the serene environment.

the warmth of the sun started to arouse harry from his slumber, he had been in and
out of consciousness, but today seemed like the day harry was going to
finally come out of it. he slowly blinked his eyes open, after rubbing them for
several moments they finally started to adjust to the new surroundings.
he slowly reached over toward the table to grab his glasses then he started to sit
himself up as much as his ribs would let him, which was not very far.
he started to recognize were he was, it was sirius�s room in grimmauld place but
it had changed. it was much cleaner then the last time he saw it, the
carpets, curtains, sheets and even the furniture looked all brand new. what else
had changed, harry wondered. he decided he�d been in bed long enough and
slowly made his way to the edge. he pushed himself up and was just about to take
his first step when a wave of dizziness washed over him. he sat back down
for a moment, letting his body adjust to being upright again. after a few more
moments he pushed himself back up again and started to walk. his ribs were
still sore so his walk was very ridged. he pushed open his door and looked down
the hall. he was guessing everyone was at breakfast.

the kitchen was buzzing with activity, the whole weasley family, except percy, was
there, dumbledore, mcgonagall, lupin, tonks, mad eye, snape, madam pomfrey,
and hermione. harry slowly opened the kitchen door and saw them all happily
eating.

�harry!� an excited hermione shouted. everyone turned to see harry standing in the
doorway; they quickly made a space for him at the table. he sat down
between lupin and fred. everyone seemed to have an expression of relief, even
snape seemed to look a little calmer.

�you gave us quit the scare harry,� said dumbledore, who was sitting across from
him.

�what happened? i just remember talking with my uncle vernon then somehow the
protection charm was brought up,� harry paused. �then he mentioned . . .�
once again harry stopped himself from saying sirius�s name out loud. he felt
everyone�s eyes rest on him and it made him feel very uncomfortable.

�it seems that two of voldemorts follows took some polyjuice potion and captured
your uncle and cousin.� a touch of concern in dumbledore�s voice, �but
the spell has been broken, other then hogwarts this is the only safe place for you
to be.� another long pause, �well, if you would excuse me i have some
business to take care of. molly, thank you for a wonderful meal.�

once dumbledore had left everyone�s attention was turned back towards harry. the
typical questions began to be asked and as time went on people slowly began
to filter out, until it was just harry, ron, hermione, mcgonagall, lupin, madam
pomfrey, and mrs. weasley. the four adults were all huddled down at the
end of the table having some serious discussion.

�you defiantly gave us a scare mate, we all arrived just as that death eater
kicked you in the face,� said ron.

�how are your ribs harry, them seemed to bother you a lot while dumbledore was
holding you,� a very concerned hermione asked. her big brown eyes looked
as if they were staring right into harry�s soul, he could never hide anything from
hermione and for a moment harry was lost in her gaze, he quickly recovered.

�they�re a bit sore but they feel better then my head does,� said harry.

�you took several blows to the head
couple of days and let it heal. ron
hermione said as she reached across
felt very familiar and harry didn�t
it for a bit longer.
harry, you need to take it easy the next
and i will keep you company don�t worry,�
the table to squeeze harry�s hand. her touch
want to let it go so he held onto

�harry dear, why don�t we get you back upstairs,� said professor mcgonagall. harry
immediately let go of hermione�s hand and tried to turn around but was
met with some pain.

�here let ron and i help you,� said lupin. both he and ron flanked harry and
helped him up the stairs, they were followed by all the women from the kitchen.
ron and lupin helped harry get comfortable in bed.

�well now that i have you three all together i have some things i�d like to
discusses with you. dumbledore feels that we need to get you three ready for
facing you-know-who.�

�three? as in harry, hermione and me, taking on you �know-who. i thought harry was
the only one who could beat,� ron paused. �him.�

�thanks a lot,� teased harry.

�no offence harry but i can�t even out-dual ginny let alone you-know-who,� said
ron.

�precisely the point mr. weasley, dumbledore feels that you and ms. granger will
be of some help to harry during the battle, and we need to get you all
ready,� said mcgonagall.
�battle professor?� a curious hermione asked.

�yes, the sorting hat gave a warning to dumbledore the other night,� said a now
concerned mcgonagall.

�what type of warning professor,� ask harry.

�i don�t know, but that is why professor dumbledore has called a meeting tonight
for all of the order, and he would like you three at the meeting as well.
our main goal is to help you three be ready for whatever is to come, and so with
that said you will all be having lessons for the rest of the summer.�
mcgonagall took out a piece of parchment. �i will be helping you transfigure into
an animagus . . . �

�no way!� gasped ron. mcgonagall eyed him but then continued.

�professor lupin will be working on your defense against the dark arts. moody will
be teaching dueling and pain deflection. snape will continue to instruct
you on potions and dumbledore will work with all three of you on occlumency. it is
imperative that you master occlumency before school, so the dark lord
can�t use any of you to find out what we are planning. now i�ll let you three
catch up, if you have any questions i�ll be in the living room down stairs.�
said mcgonagall.

�here mr. potter drink these two veils and if you have any severe pain have ms.
granger or mr. weasley come and get me.� madam pomfrey explained.

�oh harry i�m so glad you�re feeling better. now don�t you worry i�ll bring lunch
up here so you can save your strength for tonight.� said mrs. weasley
as she gave harry a cautious hug.

�if you need anything just let us know,� smiled lupin. all the adults made there
way over towards the door and quietly left the three friends alone.

�bloody hell, we�re gonna become animagus,�said ron.

�ron!� snapped hermione. �did you listen to anything mcgonagall said? there�s
going to be a battle, which means we�re not just fighting voldemort, we�re
also going to be fighting death eaters . . . most likely hundreds of them.�

�by ourselves?� said a confused ron.

�i doubt it, but lets wait an see what happens tonight. for all we know it could
be a battle of wizards chess,� smiled harry as he winked at ron.

�way ahead of you mate,� said ron as he dragged a table already setup.

�well i�m ahead of both of you,� beamed hermione as she tossed both ron and harry
a box of bertie botts every flavor beans and pulled a book out of harry�s
bedside table. they all laughed, and began their various activities. the afternoon
was quiet and uneventful, ron destroyed harry at wizards chest so many
times that hermione felt the need to step in and try and knock ron off his thrown.
harry watched his two best friends play. he loved them both so much.
they were the only family he had and if he lost either of them he wouldn�t know
what he would do. harry felt bad for all the pain he had caused both of
them and now they might have to put their lives on the line to help harry yet
again. he made a vow right there that he would do everything in his power
to protect them and keep them out of harms way, he owed them that much.

before too long, lupin came upstairs to help harry get a shirt on and escort him
down to the meeting. everyone was already seated when harry arrived, everyone
from that morning including some people harry didn�t recognize were all packed
into the living room. dumbledore was standing at the far end of the room
and gave harry a small nod as he entered. once harry was settled next to ron and
hermione on the couch, dumbledore cleared his throat.

�first i�d like to thank you all for coming, i know gathering in numbers isn�t the
safest thing to do but you may notice just under half of us are present.
you also might be wondering why harry, ron, hermione, and ginny are in this
meeting. well . . . because it involves them the most.� but before dumbledore
could finish there was a loud knock at the door. everyone jumped and pulled their
wands out.

�everyone remain calm, i believe our new member has arrived,� said dumbledore as
he motioned for lupin to open the door.

a young women stepped into the room carrying a broom harry had never seen before
and a large green duffle bag, the kind someone in the armed forces would
have. she was wearing low-rise jeans and a t-shirt that read �property of the
irish quidditch team.� sunglasses were holding her honey blonde hair back
and if she weren�t carrying a broom you would have thought a muggle had just
walked in.

�dumbledore is it okay if rosie comes in, she�s in a holding pattern out back,�
said the woman with the hint of a brogue.

�of course, please go ahead and get her,� said dumbledore.

the woman pulled out a dragon hide glove from her back pocket and left the room.
once she was gone the room immediately erupted with whispered conversations.

�what�s the irish doing here?� george asked fred.

�i dunno but did you see that broom? i read the irish team has been experimenting
with aerodynamic brooms in preparation for the next world cup. those are
the fastest brooms on earth, i didn�t know any of the players had started using
them.� a shocked fred stated.

�who is she? i didn�t see her at the last quidditch cup?� said ron

�all i know is her names julia, rumor has it she�s the best seeker in the world .
. . better then krum, but she refused to play until she was through with
auror training.� said ginny with a smile.

the whispers stopped as footsteps could be heard coming toward the living room
again. the woman stepped into the room with a majestic bald eagle on a gloved
arm. everyone was in awe for a moment over the beautiful creature.

�that�s one of the original eagles,� gasped tonks.

�an original eagle?� asked harry.

�yes, also referred to as a founding eagle or elder.� stated dumbledore. �you see
harry, eagles along with phoenixes are some of the oldest magical creatures
still left. a founding eagle has many powers and when witches and wizards started
to abuse them they migrated to the new world were the local tribes understood
and respected the new creature.�

�aye, and once you�ve earned their respect, they will be loyal to you until your
death, because they out-live humans by many years,� interrupted julia.
�but i doubt i was brought here to discuss rosie.�

�quite right, well first let me introduce are new guest, julia is one of the
finest auror�s ireland has but she is also a close friend of mine and i�d trust
her with my life. she has agreed to fill the defense against the dark arts
position at hogwarts and has joined the order. i ask that you treat her with
the same respect you�d show your own mothers.� smiled dumbledore, �now for the
reason i called you all here, i will let my old friend explain himself.�
dumbledore stepped aside to reveal the sorting hat sitting on a stool.

�many brave and true of heart gather in this room, for the hour grows late and the
battle will begin soon,� the hat paused and looked straight at harry.
�heir of godric gryffindor listen to my words, the time will come that the once
four separate houses will become one and stand behind you in your fight.
which will happen during the six month�s longest night. the one thing you need to
remember is this . . . love of family, the love of a friend, and the
most powerful of all . . . the undying love of another. the heir of salazar
slytherin can never know how powerful these elements can be, for hatred and
cruelty is all that he sees.� the hat stopped for a moment then looked at julia,
�i know that many of you have been waiting for the task ahead but know
that good will win out in the end. i fear my time for rhyme has come to an end but
heed this last word my friends. never forget that the greatest power
comes from within,� and with that the sorting hat fell silent. no one moved nor
spoke for several minutes following, until julia took two steps forward.

�well we know when the battle is happening,� she paused. �the real question is,
does voldemort?�

chapter 5 : the preparation for battle begins

chapter 5: the preparation for battle begins

it was the day before harry and dumbledore were to visit grinngotts to sort out
sirius�s will. grimmauld place was bustling with activity. ater the sorting
hat�s warning, dumbledore instructed everyone to go home until he could find out
whether voldemort was indeed going to act the way the hat predicted. they
were all to meet in two weeks the night before the new term of school started.
today was the first day of lessons, potions and transfiguration was in the
morning. after lunch was defense against the dark arts and dueling with moody,
then after dinner would be occlumency. harry was running late for his first
lesson of the day. he threw his clothes on and grabbed his books as he tore down
the stairs. he still had some bruising on his face but his ribs and head
felt a lot better then yesterday.

�this might be the summer and you think you can be a little more relaxed but i
will not tolerate lateness at hogwarts nor here,� said an annoyed snape as
harry entered the kitchen.

�sorry professor,� said harry. he sat down and opened his book to their lesson of
the day.

�now as i was saying, today we will learn simple healing potions which can be made
fairly quickly in the field,� instructed snape. harry had a feeling that
all of the lessons would be like this, everything focused on the battle. this
battle was going to be it, everyone�s hopes for a future without voldemort,
without the death eaters and most importantly without fear. but harry felt that no
one had confidence in him, he would catch people gazing at him as if
he wasn�t going to make it. didn�t anyone have faith he could beat voldemort? then
harry realized all he had to do was look at his best friends, as long
as they had faith in him, that was all he needed. snape�s lesson went by fairly
quickly and harry found himself walking to the living room for his transfiguration
lesson, he hadn�t given his animal much thought.

�do you know what animal you wanna be harry?� asked ron.

�no idea,� said harry.

�don�t worry, this first lesson is to help us fined the right animal. i heard
mcgonagall talking to lupin this morning,� said hermione. the three walked
into the living room to await their next lesson. they waited for a few minutes
before harry spotted a cat sitting on the table just watching them.

�professor?� asked harry.

the cat jumped down to the floor and slowly walked towards the three of them and
as it walked professor mcgonagall began to take form.

�very good mr. potter, how could you tell it was me?� asked mcgonagall.

�you were looking straight into my eyes.� stated harry.

�so it wasn�t until i stopped acting like a cat that you noticed me, and that�s
one of the first things you have to think about when choosing an animal.
what animal shares your qualities, your modes, and most importantly your
strengths? now i�m going to ask you a few questions and please answer truthfully.�
mcgonagall paused then looked at ron, �mr. weasly would you say you�re a loyal
friend to mr. potter and ms. grainger?�

�yeah,� said a defensive ron.

�would you follow them wherever they went?� asked mcgonagall. ron nodded his head.
�would you consider trying a wolf as your animal mr. weasley?�

�a wolf?� questioned ron.

�a wolf is a fierce warrior and hunter, but he�s loyal to his pack and will help
catch food or defend it�s young at all cost.� explained mcgonagall. �try
something for me mr. weasley, close your eyes and think about a wolfs howl.�

�okay,� said ron.

�do you hear it?� asked mcgonagall. ron nodded. �good now take a deep breath and
try it.� ron paused for a moment then took a deep breath and let out a
loud howl. he opened his eyes with a shocked expression.

�brilliant!� said ron.

�very good mr. weasley,� an impressed mcgonagall said as she clapped. �now ms.
granger . . .�

�actually professor i have an idea of what animal to become,� interrupted

hermione.

�oh, and what might that be?� asked mcgonagall.

�a unicorn,� hermione muttered.

�well, ms. granger you do know magical creatures are a lot harder to do then
normal animals,� said mcgonagall.

�i know, but i think i can do it,� said hermione with a little more confidence.

�very well, can you picture the horn?� asked mcgonagall. hermione nodded, �close
your eyes and begin to focus on the horn.� hermione took a deep breath
then closed her eyes, several moments past without anything happening. a small
stub began to protrude from hermione�s forehead. it slowly grew until it
was completely formed. both harry and ron had their mouths a gaped.

�bloody hell!� whispered ron.

and just as soon as it had grown it disappeared and hermione fell back onto the
couch in exhaustion.

�amazing ms. granger, amazing!� exclaimed mcgonagall who then turned to harry.
�mr. potter, do you know what you want to be?�

�um not really,� harry said with a little embarrassment.

�well, what are you good at?� asked mcgonagall. harry thought for a moment then it
hit him, he was good at flying.

�flying, professor,� said harry.

�yes, you�re very good at flying harry,� mcgonagall paused. �what other
qualities?� harry thought for a moment. he might be skinny but he considered
himself
strong, and he defiantly could be a leader if needed. he also thought about his
undying need to protect the ones he loved. just then harry started to remember
that night at the ministry, when fawkes had jumped in front of dumbledore to save
him from the killing curse. his thoughts then drifted to when fawkes
saved him from the basilisk and harry knew right then what he wanted to be.

�a phoenix,� stated harry.

�i thought you might say that,� mcgonagall paused and stared at harry. �why don�t
you hold your arms out and focus on the wings of the phoenix,� suggested
mcgonagall. harry slowly raised his arms and closed his eyes and remembered the
rush he felt when he was holding on to fawkes tail when he carried everyone
out of the chamber. he slowly opened his eyes and looked at his arms, which were
now stunningly beautiful red wings, he closed his eyes and focused again,
and when he opened them, his arms were back to normal.

�excellent mr. potter, you�ve all done very well. now lets go see what�s for lunch
shall we,� said an excited mcgonagall.

harry, ron and hermione were all excited about their new animagus form and were
bragging to everyone at lunch. mcgonagall did ask that they don�t let anyone
at hogwarts know about their special training, she had no doubt there would be
spies amongst the students this year.
the rest of the afternoon went well, lupin explained how some spells need emotion
to fuel them, like the patronus spell and the crucio spell, while mad-eye
began to teach them pain deflection by pricking their fingers until they didn�t
bleed. before harry knew it he was back in the kitchen eating dinner, he
noticed it was still light. he rushed through dinner and ran up and grabbed his
firebolt, the backyard of grimmauld place was protected with the same charms
as the house so know one could see him. he stepped out side and noticed someone
else had chosen to fly around. it was the new auror, julia. she was practicing
some complex moves, speeding in one direction then turning on a dime and going the
other, tight barrel rolls and loop-de-loops, then he saw her climb very
high into the air and just as harry was beginning to lose sight of her he saw
something that made his heart stop. julia had jumped off her broom into a
swan dive and was free falling towards him at an alarming rate. just as harry was
about to mount his broom he heard something.

�accio broom!� boomed julia. the broom, which was once just hovering where julia
had left it, was now rocketing towards its owner at a high speed. it caught
up to her and she grabbed it and pulled out of the dive just before hitting the
ground. harry just stood there in amazement. julia noticed she had a spectator
and slowly came down to talk to the young man.

�evening harry,� smiled julia.

�that was unbelievable, how did you do that?� a still shocked harry asked.

�a lot of practice and people spotting me incase i couldn�t pull out in time,�
laughed julia. �i�ve heard you�re quite the flyer.�

�i can�t do anything like that,� said harry.

�well, maybe in time i could teach you, but you up for a game of tag?� asked
julia.

�tag?� questioned harry.

�yeah you�re it,� and with that julia jumped on her broom and was off. harry
quickly figured out the game and began his chase. they had been flying for
over an hour before hermione came out to get harry for their occlumency lesson. he
thanked julia and asked if they could play again some time.

�anytime you want harry, but if i�m not here rosie�s always up for it.� julia said
as she walked up stairs to change out of her quidditch gear. harry went
straight to the living room with hermione. ron and dumbledore were already waiting
inside.

�wonderful, let�s begin shall we. the first thing i want you all to know is what
it feels like to have someone invade your head. harry would you please
perform the charm on hermione while i perform it on ron.� asked dumbledore.
hermione gave harry a worried look.

�don�t worry it will be okay, just focus on pushing me out of your head once i�m
there,� harry said softly. he positioned himself in front of hermione.

�ready harry?� harry nodded, �one . . . two . . . three . . . legilimens!� both

harry and dumbledore said. harry all of a sudden began to see events from
the last 6 years but in a different perspective. he saw himself catching the
snitch during his first year but a different sense of pride filled him as
he watched, then he saw the basilisk in herminone�s mirror, flash again to the
third year when hermione was watching harry perform the expecto patronum
spell on all the dementors, another memory of harry about to take on the dragon
for his first task in the tri-wizards tournament but he felt a tremendous
sense of fear and worry came over him while he watched as hermione kissed harry
good luck, one more memory flashed as harry watched as the purple spell
hit hermione in the chest and harry saw himself looking straight at hermione with
a terrified look. then harry heard hermione yell.

�nooooooo!� screamed hermione. she had forced him out of her mind but it took much
effort, she was on her knees on the ground and was breathing hard. harry
bent down to see if she was all right.

�you okay?� he whispered.

�yeah, it�s not everyday someone sees all your memories,� she tried to play it off
but harry could tell she was disappointed at herself for not being stronger.

�it�s okay hermione it took me a while before i could stop snape,� said harry as
he helped her to her feet.

�now let�s change sides and let them know what it�s like to see into our heads
harry,� said a smiling dumbledore, who was also helping ron to his feet.
harry prepared himself and gave hermione and smile letting her know it was going
to be okay.

�ready ron,� asked hermione.

�as i ever will be,� ron nervously said.

�okay, one . . . two . . . three . . . legilimens!� they both shouted. now harry
was experiencing his own memories, the first was that of sirius falling
behind the veil then his memory snapped to the moment hermione was hit with the
purple spell, he ran over to her and he began to think the same thoughts
he had that night. don�t let her be dead, don�t let her be dead; it will be my
fault if she�s dead. then the fear that harry had that night came back to
him as he looked at a lifeless hermione. another flash and he was seeing hermione
and ron play chess from the other day he saw that his focus was on hermione
and he heard himself think about the promise he made to not let them be hurt
again. this was enough he couldn�t let her see anymore, harry thought and
forced hermione out of his head.

�ouch!� she shouted. harry looked up to see hermione rubbing her wrist the same
was snape was when he had unintentionally preformed a stinging hex.

�now that you�ve experienced both sides of this type of manipulation you can
understand why it�s imperative that we have you as close to being ready as
possible for the start of the school term. i think that�s enough for tonight,�
said dumbledore. �harry may i have a moment?�

�yes professor,� said a tired harry.

�i just wanted to let you know that hermione and ron will be coming with us
tomorrow, it seems that sirius left a few things for them as well,� dumbledore
said softly.

�okay, what time should we be ready?� asked harry.

�nine o�clock, we�ll be taking the night bus so make sure you have correct
change,� smiled dumbledore.

�i will sir, have a good night,� said harry.

�good night harry,� responded dumbledore. harry left the living room and headed
upstairs, as he got closer to his room he noticed someone standing there.
it was hermione.

�hermione? you okay?� a touch of concerned in harry�s voice.

�yeah i�m fine,� she paused. �i just wanted to let you know that i don�t blame you
at all for what happened in the ministry. you can�t look out for all
of us you know,� she half laughed. the she took a step forward and hugged harry.
harry and hermione had given each other hugs loads of times but this time
harry noticed just how wonderful she felt in his arms, he could smell the vanilla
shampoo she always used and he could feel her breathing against his chest.
he never wanted to let her go, but he could feel her begin to pull out of the hug.

�besides some one has to look out for you,� she smiled and started to walk back
towards her room. harry gave her a huge smile, he loved his friend so much
but something felt different. this feeling was stronger then just friendship he
thought. he quickly dismissed the idea and went to bed for he knew tomorrow
was going to be a rough day.

chapter 6 : the last request of sirius black

chapter 6: the last request of sirius black

"but master, the boy figured out who we were. we tried to grab him but dumbledore
and his band of goody-too-shoes showed up," groveled wormtail.

"it's doesn't matter, the spell is broken and he is no longer safe outside
hogwarts," hissed a high-pitched voice.

"how will we get him?" a cautious wormtail asked.

"it looks like we must go to him," the voice paused. "wormtail get everything
ready to move."

"where are we going master?" asked wormtail.

"to the forbidden forest, we must prepare . . ." the voice trailed off.

"prepare?" said a confused wormtail.

"you fool!" roared the voice. "we're going to attack hogwarts. once dumbledore
can't hide behind that school he'll be unable to stop me, and i'll be able
to finish potter once and for all." laughed the unearthly voice.

"master!" another death eater walked into the room. "we still can't find narccisa
or draco my lord, and some of the others are missing too."

"well it seems like some of my followers offspring don't share our vision," the
voice seemed concerned. "find them and kill them all, if they don't fight
for us then they wont fight for anyone!" screamed the voice!

harry awoke with a start, was that a dream or did voldemort let his guard down
long enough for harry to see him. he didn't know but if what he just saw
was true then dumbledore needed to help the slytherins in hiding. harry jumped out
of bed and threw a shirt on. it was still early morning and the house
was deathly quiet, harry tiptoed down the hall then crept down the stairs. he
looked in the kitchen but no one was there, the living room was empty as
well. he thought for a moment, then decided he needed to take matters into his own
hands and went back up stairs and threw on some warm clothes, grabbed
his firebolt and headed for the back door. he opened the kitchen door and was
surprised to see julia dressed and ready to fly as well.

"that broom maybe fast but not as fast as mine. leave a note saying i took you to
hogwarts because you needed to talk to dumbledore. we don't want to be
scaring anyone now do we," said julia handing harry a piece of parchment and
pointing to where the quill sat on the table. harry quickly wrote the note
and placed his firebolt on the table.

"ready," said harry with a sense of urgencies. julia nodded and walked out the
back door, she mounted her broom and motioned for harry to get on behind
her.

"won't we need an invisibility cloak?" asked harry.

"not the way i fly. hang on," shouted julia, as she got ready to kick off the
ground. she took a deep breath then bent her knees and lunched into the air
with such force harry feared he'd fall off. with in moments grimmauld street was
just a tiny line beneath him. harry could feel julia leaning forward to
push the broom to go faster, but they were already going at such a fast pace that
the wind was deafening to harry and stinging to his face. after about
twenty minutes harry heard julia yell something but couldn't make it out.

"what!" he shouted. julia turned her head to the side.

"we're almost there!" she shouted back to him. harry began to notice the
countryside slowly growing bigger and just ahead he could make out the towers of
his school. julia safely landed in the courtyard right in front of the hug oak
doors that were shut tight. harry knocked as hard as he could but no one
answered, then he had a thought. harry whipped out his wand and pointed it at his
throat.

"sonorus!" he yelled. "professor dumbledore," his voice now amplified. "it's

harry! i need to talk to you!" harry paused. "professor dumbl . . ." the doors
to the school slowly opened and a rather confused looking dumbledore stepped out.
"profess . . ." harry's voice was still amplified. harry pointed his
wand,fixed it and started to walk towards dumbledore. "professor, he's going to
attack! i saw it! he was talking to wormtail and then another death eater
came in and said that draco was missing along with some others and voldemort
ordered them killed!" harry was out of breath.

"slow down harry, did voldemort say when he was going to attack?" said dumbledore.

"no but he told wormtail to get everything ready to leave and they were going to
move into the forbidden forest," harry said a little more calmly. dumbledore
turned to look in the direction of the forest.

"and what did he say about draco and the others?" said dumbledore still looking in
the direction of the forest.

"a death eater came in and told voldemort that draco and some others are missing
and no one can find them. voldemort then said that if they don't fight
for him they wouldn't fight for anyone and he told the death eater to kill them
all," said a panicked harry. he and draco might not be on the best terms
but he did not wish death upon anyone, with the exception of two people, voldemort
and bellatrix lestrange.

"come with me," instructed dumbledore. they followed him through the halls of
hogwarts and up into his office. dumbledore then grabbed a letter harry recognized
as the portkey that brought him to dumbledore's office a week ago. all three of
them touched it and moments later they all dropped onto the sidewalk across
the street from number twelve grimmauld place. they walked into the house, which
was now full of commotion until ginny weasley spotted them standing in
the doorway.

"i found them!" she shouted. harry could hear everyone run towards his direction.
mad-eye and mrs. weasley were the first to reach them.

"i thought i told you not to let him take you on some damn mission," moody scolded
julia.

"harry why didn't you leave us a note! we thought you-know-who got you!" a
hysterical mrs. weasley squealed.

"he did leave a note!" said a voice from the back of the crowd that had now
gathered around them. the person started to push their way through the crowd
and harry could see the bushy hair approaching him. hermione was waving his note
in one hand and carrying his broom in the other. she handed harry his
broom and the note to mrs. wealey.

"we don't have time to worry about harry's judgment molly, i need all the order
members to meet me in the living room at once," stated dumbledore in a concerned
tone. tonk, mad-eye, mcgonagall, lupin mrs. weasley, fred, george and julia all
went into the living room but before dumbledore joined them he turned to
harry, ron, hermione and ginny.

"you three get ready to leave for diagon alley, and ginny dear could you please
write a letter to professor snape asking him to meet me at grinngots as
soon as possible. harry may we use hedwig? asked dumbledore.

"of course,' said harry.

"wonderful, you four get going, and don't worry harry, we'll take care of this,"
dumbledore said as he walked into the living room.

"bloody hell mate, what happened?" a confused ron asked.

"i'll tell you on the night bus," a distracted harry said.

"oh not the night bus again," complained ron. harry laughed and headed upstairs,
with all that had happened, he completely forgot why they were going to
diagon alley but as he entered his room all the memories came flooding back. he
sat for a moment and began to feel a lump form in his throat. not wanting
to become emotional harry pushed the thoughts out of his head and started to get
ready.

an hour later, dumbledore, harry, hermione, ron and julia were all sitting on the
night bus heading towards diagon alley. harry spent the majority of the
ride explaining his dream and that he got to ride julia's broom to hogwarts.
"how fast was it?" an excited ron asked.

"let's just say it took about half an hour to get to hogwarts," harry bragged.
ron's mouth hung open.

"ron you might want to close your mouth spiders could get in," teased hermione.
ron immediately shut his jaw and then suddenly flew off his seat along with
harry and hermione.

"it looks like we're here," said dumbledore as he calmly got up from his seat. all
three gave him a dirty look as they picked themselves up from the floor.
they made their way through the populated ally and on the way noticed where fred
and george's shop was. once inside grinngotts, a distinguished goblin
made his way over to the group.

"headmaster, thank you for coming, the room is being prepared it will be just a
moment." the goblin said as he showed them to a set of chairs. they all
took their seats. dumbledore asked hermione and ron how their summers had been,
leaving julia and harry to talk to each other.

"how did you know i was awake?" asked harry.

"being that i'm your next door neighbor, i woke up and heard you moaning for
dumbledore. i didn't think much of it until i peeked my head out into the hallway
and saw you sneaking around," explained julia. harry felt a little embarrassed
that he didn't know julia was right next door to him. he looked up to see
the goblin from before walking towards them. harry let out a long sigh. was he
ready for this?

"it will be okay harry, just remember sirius wanted you to have these things. as
long as you honor his memory he'll always be with you," said julia softly.
harry didn't know why but those little words of comfort seemed to help.

"mr. potter we are ready," said the goblin indicating that the group should follow
him. they walked down a long hallway. once they got to the end, a door
on the right opened. a goblin in robes was seated with several large pieces of
parchment on a desk in front of him. a dictation quill stood at attention
on another table with a blank piece of parchment, and five plush red chairs sat in
a half circle around the front of the goblin's desk.

"come in mr. potter," said the goblin in the nice robes. "headmaster, thank you
for coming." shaking dumbledore's hand. "well now is everyone present?"

"all accounted for," smiled dumbledore.

"then let the reading of sirius black's will begin." the goblin looked at the
dictation quill, which had just copied his sentence. all three friends gave
each other knowing looks of comfort. "ronald weasley?"

"yes," said ron tentatively.

"you have been left the following," the goblin took a breath. "dear ron, your
mother wouldn't allow me to give you these as christmas presents but i knew
she couldn't deny me in death so please except these two firebolts for your sister
ginny and yourself. good luck, and keep harry out of trouble and that
quidditch cup in your house." the brooms appeared in front of ron once the goblin
finished reading.
"thank you," ron whispered to the brooms.

"hermione granger . . . you have been given the following," the goblin took
another deep breath. "my dearest hermione, i now know how ron and harry make
it through the year. you will become the greatest witch of your time don't ever
doubt that. to help you achieve that goal i have left you all of the family's
sacred books. some date back as far as the 13th century and talk about the ancient
magic that only a few witches and wizards can practice today, protect
my godson hermione, i'm counting on you," the goblin cleared his throat. "with
your permission we can ship the books to hogwarts, gryffindor tower, girls
dormitory. there are quite a number of them."

"that would be wonderful, may i also keep that note from sirius?" a sad hermione
asked.

"why of course, will you sign here indicating you want the books to be delivered,"
said the goblin holding out a piece of parchment for hermione to sign.
she took the quill from his hand and signed, the parchment then took the note the
goblin had read.

"when will they be delivered?" hermione asked.

"we'll have them there the first night of term for you," responded the goblin as
he wrote a note to himself.

"thank you," she whispered as a silent tear rolled down her check.

"harry potter . . . you have been given the following," the goblin took the same
deep breathe. "harry, if you're hearing this then i've failed you in life
. . . but in death i can at least make sure you're taken care of. i have left you
everything, aside from the books that i gave to hermione. grimmauld place
now belongs to you along with the rest of the black fortune and belongings. harry
i want you to enjoy life, you've had so many hardships so early that
i wanted you to not have to worry about anything once you're done with school. i
only ask for one favor in return, defeat him." with that last statement
the goblin started to fold the note. harry who had been looking at the ground the
entire time slowly raised his head and looked at the goblin with his
bloodshot eyes.

"would you mind reading that last sentence again," said harry with a shaking
voice.

"certainly mr. potter," the goblin opened the note again and took a breath. "i
only ask for one favor in return, defeat him." the goblin paused and looked
at harry. harry sat for a moment in silence. it was over he thought, all of his
moodiness, being frustrated with people not telling him what's going on,
and being mad that he was the one chosen to fulfill the prophecy, all of it. he
will defeat voldemort, and not just for his godfather, but also for everyone
else who was counting on him. all the suffering, pain and fear that voldemort had
caused would all come to an end and harry was going to be the one to
stop him. a determination could be seen in his eyes now. a new fire was lit within
him.

"do i need to sign anything?" asked harry now in full control of his voice.

"uh, yes mr. potter. we have several plans as to what we can do to make these
changes easier on you. first we can move your existing finances into one vault
that can hold both the black family's finances and yours. second, we could move
them to be in two vaults right next to each other or third we could leave
everything were it is," explained the goblin.

"why don't we put them in two vaults right next to each other," said harry.

"as you wish mr. potter, if you could just sign these three pages indicating you
are now the owner of gimmauld place and the rightful owner to the black
family fortune, then sign this last paper that will allow us to move the two
fortunes into different vaults adjoining each other." harry signed all four
pieces of parchment. "here are you're new vault numbers and keys that go along
with them," explained the goblin. harry finished up all the paperwork and
left grinngotts. dumbledore excused himself to meet with snape and instructed them
to meet up with him in a half hour to catch the night bus.

they all decided to head to the weasley's shop and say hi to fred and george.
while on the way, hermione spotted a new snow owl at the emporium and asked
if she could stop and look at her.

"how much is she?" hermione asked the shopkeeper.

"250 galleons," said the shopkeeper. hermione's heart visibly sunk, she slowly
made her way out of the shop followed by ron. harry was about to follow them
but stopped in his tracks.

"julia will you tell them i'll catch up, i just want to buy some treats for
hedwig." said harry as he headed back up to the stopkeeper.

"hey hermione, ron, we'll be right there harry's getting some owl treats for
hedwig," shouted julia. harry turned and looked at her questionably.

"were you go, i go, simple as that. plus moody will kill me if i let you out of my
sight," smiled julia. harry chuckled, of course mad eye was that paranoid
that voldemort might try something in the middle of the day and in the most packed
alley in all of london. harry turned towards the shopkeeper.

"may i purchase that owl my friend just asked about?" asked harry.

"it's still 250 galleons," said the shopkeeper. harry wrote down his new vault
number and a date to deliver it and handed it to the person.

"charge it to that vault and can you deliver it on this date," harry pointed to
the date on the page.

"whom am i sending it to" asked the now impressed shopkeeper as she looked at
harry's information. she took out a delivery form to fill out.

"oh, to hermione granger, hogwarts, gryffindor table," said harry.

"would you like a note to send with the owl?" asked the shopkeeper.

"sure," harry paused. "happy birthday hermione, love harry."

"okay mr. potter,we'll take care of that for you, will you be needing anything
else," asked the shopkeeper.

"um . . . "harry was about to say no when julia interrupted him.

"you might want to get some treats," smiled julia.

"oh yeah can i have some owl treats for a snowy owl," smiled harry. harry
collected his owl treats and made his way up to the weasley's shop, but just as
he got there, he saw dumbledore walking pretty fast towards his direction.

"we need to leave now," an out of breath dumbledore exclaimed.

"what is it?" a concerned julia asked. but dumbledore wouldn't answer.

"hermione! ron! come here!" demanded dumbledore. they walked out of the shop
confused but they didn't have time for questions dumbledore grabbed their hands
and apparated out of diagon alley.

"grab my hand," said julia. harry did so and with in moments felt that strange
sensation he felt the night of his attack. so this is what it felt like to
apparate, he thought. grimauld place began to appear in front of him. both julia
and harry followed dumbledore who was already in the house. harry, hermione
and ron stood in the doorway for a moment trying to figure out what the urgencies
was all about.

"they found the slytherins in hiding," said ginny who was sitting on the stairway.
"they got there just as they were being attacked," she said with a sad
expression. just then the doors to the living room burst open and lupin was
running towards the kitchen with rags soaked in blood. all four turned their
attention to the living room. inside they could see a group of children huddled in
one corner while all the adults were standing around a body lying on
the ground. harry saw snape and madam pomfrey step back from the group. snape's
face had little blood marks all over it and he looked completely destroyed.

"i'm sorry draco we couldn't save her," snape uttered. at that moment harry could
hear the devastated cries of draco malfoy echo the halls. the group of
adults parted and harry saw him kneeling next to a woman's body and sobbing
uncontrollably. harry could hear lupin coming back, and just before the doors
to the living room shut he heard draco's last plea.

"mum, come back."

chapter 7 : new alliances

chapter 7: new alliances

the past two weeks had been exhausting for everyone. the order members were taking
turns guarding the house at all hours while the teachers doubled their
effort on training harry, hermione and ron. buckbeak's old room was turned into a
makeshift dormitory for the eight slytherins that had been rescued. most
of the time they stayed up in the room except when it was time to eat, or whenever
snape came. he would conduct the three's lesson in private in the kitchen
then go upstairs to the slytherins and tell them he had just arrived. harry could
tell that having a friendly face around them helped their grieving now
that they were all orphans. ginny explained that narcissa was the last surviving
adult when the order had found them fending off death eaters, all the
other mothers were dead. harry couldn't imagine watching his mother die, he
remembered hearing her screams during his third year anytime the dementors
came near him but to watch her fight 7 death eaters to save his life was something
he couldn't fathom.

dumbledore spent several hours on the first night explaining to the slytherins
that grimmauld place belonged to harry and that he had a vision that warned
them about the attack. he didn't mention the order but just said that this was a
safe house for anyone that needed protection from the dark lord. once
they had all gone to bed dumbledore asked everyone to check on them as often as
possible.

"it's not every day that everything you believed in turns out to be wrong,"
dumbledore had said.

harry had taken the responsibility of checking on them several times throughout
the last two weeks. the other night someone finally said something besides
"no" and "thank you." it was draco who talked to him but only for a second.

"potter," his voice sounded a little horse. "thank you for helping us." and that
was it but harry knew that it had taken a lot for malfoy to say it. harry
just gave draco a look that, because harry too had lost loved ones, meant a lot
more then just the usual apologetic looks draco had received from everyone
else. this was the foundation of a new understanding between these two very
different men and harry could feel it. he left the room with a new perspective
on draco malfoy. there were still many things he had done to his friends, hermione
in particular, but harry had a feeling this new understanding might
be the beginning of draco's redemption in his eyes. however, harry knew that was
still a long way off.

the events of late had overshadowed the o.w.l's that the children had received.
even the slytherins had theirs delivered to grimmauld place. harry did extremely
well and received the outstanding he needed in potions to get into snape's class.
in total harry received 7 o.w.l's with three other outstandings in
transfiguration,
care of magical creatures and defense against the dark arts. he got an exceeds
expectations in charms and herbology, with an acceptable in astronomy. they
curved the grading on the practical of astronomy due to the events that took place
during the exam. ron also got 7 o.w.l's but he didn't seemed please
with them as harry would have thought and any time harry asked ron about them he
would just get angry and storm off. hermione on the other hand was cool
as a cucumber, she wouldn't tell anyone her score but harry figured if she got
anything less then an outstanding she would have flip. it wasn't until their
books were picked up the other night that harry understood ron's frustration. ron
was at diagon alley helping fred and george while harry and hermione
were at grimmauld place working on homework for their extra lessons.

"harry! hermione! i got your books for school come get'em!" shouted julia from the
living room. harry and hermione had run down immediately to see what
new books they had gotten. they almost had identical books with hermione having a
few more due to the amount of classes she took.

"well, now we know what you signed up to be last year. why did you not want to
tell us?" harry had asked.

"i was worried that if you two didn't make it you'd be mad that i did," hermione
had blushed causing her cheeks to turn a slight pink. all harry could remember
was how cute she had looked when that happened.

"look at ron's pile," hermione said in a slight gasp. it was obvious that ron
wasn't going to be in the classes he needed to be to become an auror. he had
a book about muggle warfare, the sixth-year book for divination, another muggle
studies book, and the same charms, herbology, care of magical creatures,
and defense against the dark arts book that harry and hermione had.
"why does he have two muggle studies books?" asked harry. he looked at hermione
who had the same clueless look as he, then he glanced at julia who was trying
to avoid eye contact with the two of them. "you know don't you?" harry asked
julia.

"aye i do, but it's not my place to be blabbing other peoples business," said
julia still avoiding eye contact.

"oh come on julia, please!" begged hermione who was giving her best puppy dogface.
julia laughed.

"okay i'll tell, but if you say anything to anyone, i know where you sleep and i
can make it look like an accident," julia gave them both a look. "do you
remember the other night when ron kept beatin' the hell out of you in chess
harry."

"yeah, i tried everything," said harry.

"well, you weren't the only person to notice how ron kept out thinking you. mad-
eye was very impressed with ron, and after the o.w.l's came in and ron had
to choose an alternate carrier moody asked to talk to him. there is a position at
the ministry that no one has held for a while and moody thinks ron would
be perfect for it. it's the ministries defense strategist. in times of war this
person is a general so to speak, helps plan where the aurors attack and
all those things. in times of peace they help carry out special missions that need
extensive planning. ireland has had one of these for many years. it's
strange the ministry here doesn't." explained julia. "in order to qualify for this
position the person needs a working knowledge of muggle life, so that
the missions don't jeopardize or interfere with their world."

"that sounds amazing, and perfect for ron," an intrigued hermione said.

"you know what that means don't you?" asked harry. both julia and hermione gave
him a questionable look. "if we both become aurors ron would be our boss,"
teased harry. both women gave him a "that's not funny" look.

"now you can't be saying anything to anyone you understand, he's still very
embarrassed that he didn't get the higher grades and he's also worried you two
will leave him out of things because you guys have all the same classes," said
julia sensing they were about to interject. "and yes i know you wouldn't
do such a thing but he's feeling very unsure of himself. wait for him to say
something. when he's ready, he'll talk." both harry and hermione agreed with
julia's assessment and she gave them both a warm smile and told them to be on
their way. as harry smiled back there was a split second where he thought
he knew julia from somewhere before, but that moment passed and he and hermione
went back to doing homework.

it was now the night before they all left for hogwarts. the order would be holding
their meeting tonight to discuss how to prepare for the looming battle.
the entire house seemed to be on pins and needles in anticipation of the meeting.
before the meeting, dumbledore asked to conduct one more occlumency lesson.
harry, hermione, and ron quickly ate their dinner and met with dumbledore in the
living room.

"thank you for coming. i want to see how quickly you can repel someone out of your
head. you all have made amazing progress and we will be continuing these
lessons once we get back to hogwarts. so mr. weasley, why don't we start with you,
try and break into harry's mind." instructed dumbledore.

"uh okay," said an unsure ron. he positioned himself in front of harry and without
warning said the spell, "legilimens!" harry was caught off guard for
a moment but quickly recovered and cleared his head and completely blocked ron.
when harry opened his eyes he gave ron a look, why hadn't he warned him
before he preformed the spell.

"very good!" clapped dumbledore. "now harry would you please do the same to ms.
granger." harry faced hermione and gave her a wink.

"legilimens!" said harry in a strong voice. hermione was putting up a very good
fight and harry couldn't see anything, until a flash of a memory faded in
and out. harry pushed harder to see what it was. harry saw himself being kicked in
the head by the death eater. he then felt a flush of panic, anger and
concern fill him, he saw hermione raise her wand and shout the spell he had heard
that night. harry could feel hermione trying to knock him out of her
head but harry wanted to see more and pushed harder to finish watching the memory.
he now saw himself lying on the floor face down and watched as hermione
rolled him over and lit her wand to see his face. she placed a tender hand on his
cheek. harry could feel this great wave of emotion encompassed him, but
he couldn't place what exact feeling it was. the memory faded and a new one took
its place. harry was now watching dumbledore carefully place his body
on the bed. then dumbledore walked towards hermione and place his hand on her
shoulder.

"watch over him child, he will need your strength," dumbledore said as he walked
back downstairs. hermione began to walk over to harry. he really did look
bad, his jaw was swollen and the side of his face was already bruising. then harry
heard it.

"everything will be okay harry, i won't leave you," hermione said.

hermione had been the angel he thought had saved him and just as harry was about
to leave her thoughts he caught sight of one more thing. hermione slowly
moved her head down and placed a sweet tender kiss on harry's lips.

"i don't know what i'd do with out you," said hermione in the memory.

harry could feel a great power push him completely out of her head and at the same
time heard the real hermione's cry.

"harrrry! get out!" she screamed. harry was flung backwards and landed on the
couch that tipped back with his momentum. he was dazed for a moment but could
hear hermione run out of the room in tears. his heart broke, here was a woman who
had saved his life and done everything to help him and how did he repay
her, buy forcing his way into her head.

dumbledore and ron slowly peeked their heads over the sofa to see if harry was
still alive. the both offered they're hand to help him up.

"well," dumbledore started to try and change the subject. "would you boys mind
helping me move the room around for the meeting." the three worked in silence,
making harry feel even more horrible, had they seen him trying hard to watch
hermione's memory? once they had finished moving things around people began
to filter in. harry took a seat far away from the group as possible. it was
another twenty minutes before dumbledore had lupin close the doors. dumbledore
took a moment and put a silencing charm on the room.
"thank you all for coming, as some of you may know harry had a vision. what we've
gathered from it is that voldemort is moving into the forbidden forest,
most likely to keep a closer eye on harry and activities at the school. do we know
when voldemort is planning to attack?" dumbledore asked snape

"nothing as of yet, but he is sending teams out to gather supporters. he doesn't

seem to be in any hurry," said snape.

"what about the support we've gathered?" dumbledore looked to julia.

"it's been a little harder then we thought, but we're making progress. however i
do feel like we're not tapping into our greatest resource," explained julia.

"oh and what resource is that?" asked dumbledore.

"the students." stated julia. gasps were heard all over the room.

"we can't make the students fight, that's outrageous," declared mcgonagall.

"you wont have to make them fight professor, a number of them will want to," a
voice came from the corner. harry slowly stood up and addressed the crowd.
"we could us the d.a again."

"the d.a.?" asked julia.

"dumbledore's army, last year when he was forced out we created this secret group
to help teach people defense against the dark arts, because we weren't
being taught at all. but we'll need more people." harry trailed off.

"i've got an idea," exclaimed julia. "we have three hogwarts teachers and the
hogwarts nurse right here. if we spent the first two months evaluating students
seeing where peoples skill level is and inviting those we thought would want to
fight. we hold a giant meeting after halloween, explain to them that we're
preparing for a battle and those who are with us will take d.a lessons on saturday
or sunday. i think we should only take fourth years and up to be in
the battle. first through third years can help pomfrey and protect hogwarts. what
do ya think?" the room was quite for a moment, until hermione stood up.

"we can communicate the same way we did last year, through the galleons," she took
one out of her pocket and tossed it to dumbledore, who then passed it
on to others.

"you came up with this?" asked julia. hermione beamed with pride until her eyes
caught harry's and then she looked down. "you certainly are a cleaver witch,"
said julia.

"well i think that's all we can accomplish tonight. i suggest that if by christmas
voldemort still hasn't attacked then we move forward with planning our
defense, how we will train the students and surveying the forbidden forest. all
while the order tries to figure out who voldemort recruits for his force,"
concluded dumbledore.

the members began to filter out, harry tried to catch up to hermione but she had
been closer to the door and was out as soon as dumbledore finished. he
decided to just head for his room and make sure everything was packed for the next
day. he slowly made his way up the stairs and into his room. he fell
on his bed and began to think about the memories he had seen in hermione's head.
she had kissed him, harry thought. he lingered on the moment he saw hermione's
lips touch his. wait a minute! hermione kissed him! did that mean she liked him?
well if she did you blew it, thought harry. but why did harry care if
he missed a chance with hermione. it slowly dawn on harry why he cared. he liked
hermione, if not more. he truly cared about her. it was stronger then
what he felt for cho. that was just a crush. then harry remembered what she had
said in her memory. "i don't know what i'd do with out you," and that's
exactly how harry felt back in the ministry a month back when he thought she had
died. this was more then just liking someone. harry got up and began to
pace around the room. it was true he didn't just like hermione. he loved her. he
loved the way she bit her lower lip when she was concentrating, he loved
how she was always willing to put ron and himself ahead of her, and how she was
always pushing them to be better. then another thought crossed harry's
mind. what about ron? his began to feel pain in his chest, hermione was already
mad at him, and ron was acting weird because of the o.w.l's. harry's head
began to swim, maybe he was over thinking the kiss but before he could dwell on it
he heard a knock on his door.

"come in, instructed harry. his back was to the door and when he turned around he
saw all eight slytherins standing in his room.

"we know you're planning something potter," said malfoy in an accusing tone. harry
panicked and thought one of them would run of to tell voldemort but draco
continued. "we want in."

"what?" a perplexed harry asked.

"we want to help," a younger slytherin said.

"yeah, you-know-who's followers killed are mothers and our dads stood by and did
nothing. in our eyes they're dead to us, we only have each other." explained
another slytherin.

"we all have to avenge our mums. we went into hiding because they didn't want us
to become like our dads," the young slytherin chipped in again.

"we were wrong for the way we treated muggleborns," said the youngest of the
slytherin.

"we were wrong about a lot of things potter," draco paused.

"it might be a little late, but better late then never." said draco with full
sincerity in his voice. harry was completely stunned.

"have you talked to dumbledore, i'm sure he wants to know," was all harry could
say.

"already did, he wanted us to make sure we told you, because you're going to be
our point man." a now smirking draco said.

"point man?" asked harry.

"snape isn't the only spy."

chapter 8 : the new term begins

chapter 8: the new term begins

"snape isn't the only spy," said draco. "we're all going to act like our mums took
us against our will. make the rest of the house believe we're on their
side. it might take a week or so but we can gain their trust again. "

"but what if people ask what happened after the aurors showed up and rescued you?"
a now concerned harry asked.

"that's where i come in," the youngest slytherin piped up again. "you see mr.
harry potter, sir, we were on our way to a house much like this one. one that
only a family member can get too."

"we ran for it as soon as the aurors showed up, and no one can question us.
besides those death eaters didn't stick around long." draco smiled.

"are you sure you're all up for this?" asked harry.

"we're slytherins!" the youngest beamed. "well almost." the group laughed, harry
knew he was going to like this kid.

"we'll manage potter don't worry about us," said draco. he motioned to the others
that it was time to go, but before draco close the door he looked back
at harry. "potter, you know we're going to have to keep up the rivalry," stated
draco.

"i know malfoy," said harry "good, apologize to granger for me in advance, but not
weasel. i at least want to have some fun this year," smirked draco as
he left. harry just shook his head, some things will never change, he thought.
harry changed and went to bed, at least he was going back to hogwarts, he
thought as he fell asleep.

the next morning harry awoke to the sounds of everyone rushing around getting last
minute packing done. he slowly made his way over towards his bathroom
and got ready for the day. half an hour later harry was carrying his belongs to
the front door, he noticed hedwig wasn't in the house, he figured she must
have gone to get some last minute flying done. he went to the backyard to get her.

"hedwig!" called harry. a few second later harry saw her along with another bird
flying towards him. it was rosie, julia's eagle. hedwig landed safely on
harry's arm while rosie flew right into the kitchen and as harry followed he could
hear mrs. weasley shooing the bird to go away.

"harry dear, breakfast is ready," informed mrs. weasley as harry walked into the
kitchen.

"alright, be right back," said harry as he walked through the main hall to place
hedwig in her cage. "come on girl, in you go," harry, said to her. but
hedwig was giving harry that, "not again" look and didn't seem too pleased to go
back in her cage. then harry pulled out one of the treats he bought for
her. now hedwig hopped into her cage without a problem and harry gave her the
treat once he closed the cage door. he headed back towards the kitchen. harry
walked in and saw mrs. weasley now standing right next to rosie and waving her
arms for the bird to move, but rosie wasn't fazed.

"i'll sit there mrs. weasley don't worry," said harry as he took his seat. moments
later he was joined by ron and ginny, then finally hermione, who sat
as far away from harry as possible. harry just kept his head down and slowly ate
his food, every now and then he would look up at hermione and try and
catch her eye. "she's never going to talk to me again," thought harry.
"oh she will don't worry, she loves you too much," said a woman's voice. harry's
head jerked up and looked around. mrs. weasley was on the other side of
the kitchen and the voice was to old to be ginny's, who was sitting across from
him.

"you alright mate," asked ron who noticed harry looking around like he didn't know
where he was.

"yeah, i'm fine," said harry as he looked back down at his food. great now he was
going crazy.

"you're not going crazy," said the woman's voice. before harry could look again he
felt a tapping on his shoulder. he tilted his head and stared directly
into rosie's eyes.

"hello harry," said rosie. harry just stared for a moment.

"hi," he thought. "how can i talk with you, is this another one of those things i
can do but don't know about."

"oh no, it's me. i can talk to whomever i want. i'm telepathic but unlike fawkes,
i can communicate back," explained rosie.

"phoenix's are telepathic?" asked harry, whom unknown to him was starting to get
weird looks from everyone in the room.

"in a way, they're very perceptive about feelings," explained rosie.

"no way," harry said out loud.

"harry dear, are you okay?" asked mrs. weasley. both harry and rosie turned and
looked at mrs. weasley.

"uh yeah," he said as he noticed everyone was looking at him including hermione.

"it's okay harry we'll talk on the way to hogwarts, julia wanted me to stay with
you today because she couldn't be here. harry looked back down at his plate
and kept eating as he talked with rosie.

"where is she?" asked harry as he gave a smile to ron who was still staring at
him. this was actually kind of fun, thought harry, his own little secret.

"she, along with some other aurors, took the slytherins around to their houses to
pick up their stuff last night. then put them on the night bus so it appeared
they all stayed together at padraig's house. they've been keeping a close eye on
them since, but i believe she's moving her stuff into hogwarts right now."
said rosie who sounded like she was trying to concentrate.

"who's padraig? is he the youngest?" harry asked.

"yes, he's gonna be a wonderful wizard some day. it's a shame he's going to ask to
be put in slytherin. he should really be in gryffindor." said rosie.
but before harry could ask his question mrs. weasley called from the front door.

"the bus is here! time to go! called mrs. weasley.

"not the bloody bus again," exclaimed ron. everyone laughed at ron's frustration
with the night bus.

the ride to the station wasn't as bad as before. they all made it onto the train
with time to spare. hermione and ron went to the front to check in, still
being prefects, they had duties to perform before they could join harry in the
back car. ginny and harry walked to the back of the train and put their
stuff down. harry then opened the window and rosie came flying in and landed on
the seat opposite harry.

"she's a gorgeous bird isn't she," said ginny as she sat next to rosie. harry saw
rosie buff up her chest.

"i knew i liked her," harry heard rosie say. he laughed, and then looked out the
window. he watched as all the last minute arrivals came barreling through
the wall and running to one of the conductors to help get their luggage on the
train. several hours later the train was rolling through the countryside
and ron and hermione had joined them. hermione was still avoiding harry. she would
talk with ron and ginny here and there but mostly kept her nose in a
book. there were several times that harry caught himself gazing at her but turned
away when he felt someone noticing. rosie had flown out the window when
hermione and ron came back but harry could still talk with her, she was shadowing
the train from above. he was glad he had someone to talk too because
this trip was turning out to be painfully long.

"you know you should try and talk with her," rosie suggested.

"she will not want to talk to me," thought harry as he let out a long breath.

"oh harry you should . . . we'll talk later we're getting close you should put
your robes on. i'll see you in the great hall." said rosie. harry got up
and pulled his trunk down.

"getting close?' asked ron.

"yeah, i was gonna change in the bathroom so hermione and ginny can change in
here," said harry as he looked in hermione's direction hoping she might look
at him but she didn't. he and ron grabbed their clothes and headed towards the
bathroom next to their compartment.

"hey harry," called ron from the adjoining bathroom stall.

"yeah," responded harry.

"what did you see in hermione's memory that's making her not talk to you," asked
ron, who was having trouble putting his pants on.

"you know i can't tell you," said harry, who was buttoning up his shirt.

"just thought i'd give it a shot, anyway do you think she'll talk to you anytime
soon," asked ron as he pulled his vest on.

"i hope so," whispered harry who was putting his robe on.

"what was that?" called ron.

"i don't know," said harry, who was walking out of the stall. he and ron finished
up and headed back to their compartment. minutes later the train began
to slow down. the children departed and headed towards the carriages, all the
upper classmen took their seats at the tables and waited for the first years
to arrive. some how harry managed to sit next to hermione, but he was still
getting the cold shoulder. he decided to give up for the night and just catch
up with the other gryffindors. it was several more minutes until the doors to the
great hall opened and the first years walked in. the shorting hat was
placed on the stool.

"the time has come for 4 different groups to become one. this year rivalries must
die and new allies must arise. it shouldn't matter if you where a snake,
raven, lion, or badger. the coming war will need all the houses together, united
as one you shall be and let the history book see what a great generation
of witches and wizards you will be." the sorting hat fell silent, for a moment
nothing happened until mcgonagall collected herself and called out the first
name.

"padraig mcnair," she called. harry felt a lump in the back of his throat form.
padraig's dad was the man who attacked him.

"he doesn't know his father is alive harry, he thinks he died several months ago.
his mother told him that when mcnair went back to voldemort," a voice
that sounded like julia said to him. harry then looked up towards the teacher's
table and saw julia give him a little wave. "it's me, i'm using rosie to
communicate with you. but you'll learn all about it in class so don't ask me any
questions. i just felt you getting tense when mcgonagall read padraig's
last name and i wanted you not to hold any grudges towards him." explained julia.

"okay i wont," harry laughed inwardly. this was going to be one interesting year
he thought. he then tried to hear what the sorting had been saying to padraig.

"you know you don't belong there," said the sorting had in a low whisper. "i
accept your deal . . . slytherin!" yelled the sorting hat. padriag took a deep
sigh of relief and went and joined malfoy at the slytherin table. what deal did he
make with the sorting hat harry wondered? the rest of the sorting was
uneventful once it was done dumbledore stood and the hall went quite.

"another year at hogwarts is about to begin, and i would like to introduce a new
teacher to you all. professor julia will be the new defense against the
dark arts teacher, good luck professor." dumbledore clapped as julia stood up and
took a small bow. he noticed for the first time she finally looked like
a witch. she was wearing dark navy blue robes of a very fine material. "also the
forbidden forest is completely off limits, if you try and take one step
into that forest you'll be met with a very nice repelling curse which i'm sure
none of you can disarm," dumbledore paused. "so don't try," a small amount
of laughter was heard and then dumbledore's face became very serious and the
laughter died down. "i'm sure many of you are wondering what the sorting had
meant in his message. as you all know, we're entering a dark time, our world is
beginning to split into two groups as it once did before you were born.
however, there is still hope and that is what the sorting had is telling us. if we
stick together as a school, as one army we can defeat any enemy and
preserve all that we have." dumbledore looked around and saw the tension that
filled the hall. he beamed a great smile, "now my children off to your common
rooms and may your dreams be filled with happier days."

the hall now was filled with the calls of the prefects asking their first years to
follow them. harry followed the rest of the gryffindors up to their tower.
once he was in the common room he started to head up to the sixth year boy's
dormitory.
"harry!" ron called. "come here." harry walked back down the stairs to see what
his friend wanted.

"what is it?" asked harry.

"it looks like you're rooming with us," ron said happily.

"where?" a confused harry asked.

"follow me," said ron and he moved to a portrait of two gryffindor's playing
quidditch.

"snitch," said ron and the portrait opened. harry followed him in to what looked
like a smaller version of the common room.

"where are we," asked harry.

"the sixth year prefects dorm. sixth and seventh years get their own dorm but i
walked in and noticed you had a door with your name on it," explained ron.
just then hermione walked through the portrait.

"what are you doing in here?" she asked in a slightly accusing tone.

"i don't know, ron just saw i had a door with my name on it," harry said matching
hermione's tone of voice. the three stood there for a moment and then
hermione spoke.

"well maybe this will explain what's going on." she said as she picked up a piece
of paper that was on the table closest to the fire.

dear harry, hermione, and ron,

it is necessary that you three spend as much time together as possible, until we
can figure out the key that unlocks how hermione and ron help harry in
his battle, the only thing we can do is hope that by you three being together it
helps us find something. also i would like to congratulate harry on becoming
the gryffindor quidditch captain.

head master,
albus dumbledore

hermione finished reading the letter and looked up at harry. "congratulations

harry," she said with not much enthusiasm. "well, i'm going to bed. good night."
her door was half way closed by the time she finished. harry turned to look at ron
who looked a little down.

"ron, i didn't know honestly." harry felt that maybe he could talk ron out of
being angry with him before he made up his mind. harry couldn't take it if
they both didn't talk to him.

"i know," ron said a little depressed. "i dunno, i guess with you not playing last
year i thought they might choose me. but you know you've been on the
team since your first year, it makes more sense for you to be the captain." ron
finished.

"so you're not mad?" harry asked. ron smiled up at him and shook his head. "good,"
breathed harry. "i don't know if i could take both you and hermione not
talking to me."
"it's not me you have to worry about," joked ron.

"i know," harry gave him a pat on the back. "we probably should get to bed, night
ron."

"night," ron said as he went to his room. harry walked into his new room. the bed
was a little bigger then the one in the dormitory and he had his own fireplace
and desk. he looked towards the right and saw a door that looked liked it lead to
a bathroom. he walked over to the bed and laid down, he needed to think
of a way to get hermione to talk to him again. but the harder he thought, the
heavier his eyes got and soon he was dreaming of catching snitches, hermione
and for some reason snape teaching class in a tutu.

he awoke the next morning fairly early. he got a nice long shower, and then put on
his robes. he walked in to his common room to see if anyone else was
awake but no one was. he decided to just head down to the great hall and have
breakfast. harry was only in the great hall for fifteen minutes before it
started to fill up. another five minutes went by and hermione came and sat down
across the table from him. he guessed the only reason she did was out of
habit. just several minutes after she arrived, ron stumbled to the table. they all
ate in silence until the flapping of the owl's wings signaled the arrival
of their schedules. as harry watched the birds fly over him he suddenly remembered
the gift he bought hermione. he smiled to himself, all he had to do
was wait it out for another two weeks and redemption would be on its way.

chapter 9 : the return of the three musketeers

chapter 9: the return of the three musketeers

just as harry suspected on the first night of term, this year was going to
be interesting. his first defense against the dark arts lesson was one
of the most fun he had in class since lupin had been the teacher back in his third
year. just as julia promised, she explained how she could communicate
with harry using rosie.

the class was a lot smaller then normal classes, and for the first time they had
assigned seating. of course julia had put him with hermione, harry figured
that rosie might have had a hand in this. julia came into class in her normal
jeans and shirt. at least this shirt was button up and not a t-shirt.

�now, before we begin, i want all of you to repeat after me,� she said as she sat
on her desk. �julia!�

�julia,� the class echoed.

�good, because that is my name, not professor, not mrs. so and so, and not
professor julia. i�m only 26 and i don�t want to think i�m that old,� she smiled,
as the room laughed at her forwardness. harry couldn�t believe how young she was
and he soon heard some of the slytherin and gryffindors make comments.

�maybe she could make a man out of me,� harry heard seamus whisper to ron. the two
laughed until they saw harry glare at them. he didn�t know why but harry
felt a sense of loyalty to julia. in a short period of time she proved to be the
one adult who seemed to listen to him and not treat him like some damn
kid. he chalked it up to them being closer in age then the rest of the order.

�oh mr. finnigan, i wont be making you a man this year so you can stop trying, and
before you start laughing mr. weasley doing it on a broom is most uncomfortable
and i strongly recommend against it,� said julia with her back to the class. the
rest of the class exploded with laughter. both seamus and ron turned bright
red. �and no mr. malfoy i don�t want to know why slytherin boys do it better, and
if you think the snake reference is cute, think again,� continued julia.
now it was seamus and ron�s turn to laugh, while malfoy turned a very bright red.
finally julia faced the class, �now you all are probably wondering how
did she do it? well, i�ll tell you . . . rosie!� within seconds, rosie came
soaring through the window and landed on a perch next to julia�s desk. �can
anyone tell me what type of creature this is?� everyone turned and looked at
hermione who wasn�t paying attention.

�umm she�s a founding eagle, or an original eagle, and in some circles called an
elder. they use to roam free in europe until witches and wizards started
to abuse them. they migrated to the states where the local tribes respected their
powers and looked to them for wisdom,� said harry. everyone in the room
looked shocked even hermione gave him a look.

�well done, 20 points to gryffindor,� julia said impressed with harry�s knowledge
of the bird. �can anyone tell me how this eagle is different from normal
birds?� this time hermione raised her hand. �yes, ms. granger.�

�an original eagle, shares many qualities of the phoenix. their tears bring
healing powers. they can carry up to almost two hundred times their weight.
however, an original eagle is telepathic, it can communicate with humans and allow
humans to communicate with each other through them. what makes an original
eagle the most sought after bird besides the phoenix is their feathers and the
fact that no spell or weapon can hurt them. only when an eagles head is
cut off can they die. today any original eagle left in existence is considered one
of the wised magical creature left, do to how long they�ve been alive.
some original eagles have been known to be seers as well.� hermione finished and
put her head back down.

�very impressive, 30 points to gryffindor. now for this term you will be learning
several things. one, how magical creatures like rosie can help you in
a fight against the dark arts, and two, because rosie can�t be hurt with any
spells, you will be harnessing your dueling skills with her.� the rest of
the lesson was spent with everyone trying to learn how to communicate with julia
through rosie. as the class was leaving julia called harry up to the front.

�how did i do?� julia said nervously.

�that was the best lesson i ever had,� said an excited harry.

�really? wonderful! oh i was wondering if you needed any help with the quidditch
team? i heard you were named captain of the gryffindor squad and i just
wanted to offer.� asked julia.

�really? that would be great! i�m having try outs in a week, will you come and
help me run it?� an excited harry asked.

�of course! hey you better be off, you�ll miss transfigurations,� instructed
julia. harry picked up his belongs and waved goodbye to her as he left the
room he heard julia say something to rosie. �he reminds me of james. i know both
he and lily would be very proud of him,� said julia. harry stopped for
a moment, and looked back at the classroom. julia had known his parents. he was
about to go back and ask her about it but realized how late he would be
to his next class.
a week later harry was stand on the quidditch pitch watching ginny fly circles
around the rest of the chasers. ron had gotten more confidences with his
goal keeping and surprisingly, seamus and dean made pretty good beaters. a fourth
year girl and fifth year girl were chosen as the two chasers to accompany
ginny. she had mentioned to harry that these girls were very good and trained with
katie bell all summer. once the tryouts were done, harry told everyone
to head back up to the castle, he, ron and julia stayed behind for a bit to talk
about the new team.

�speed is going to be your greatest strength, and i don�t mean broom speed either.
ginny and the other two chasers are very quick with decisions and all
three have great hands, but they could have even better ones if they work on it.
they should be passing to each other everyday, if they can. the closer
they become in understanding each other the better of you�ll be harry, same with
seamus and dean.� julia said as they packed up all the equipment.

�some of those plays you were showing us seem hard, who�s going to call them out?�
asked ron.

�well since you see most of the field most likely you, harry will be busy looking
for the snitch, most goalies are the on field captains,� explained julia.

�do you mind harry?� asked ron nervously.

�not at all, you�re perfect for the job,� harry said clasping ron on the back.
just then harry felt a chill run through his body. he looked over in the
direction of the forbidden forest.

�you all right mate?� asked ron, who had noticed harry staring off in the
distance.

�just thinking about the battle,� said harry.

�don�t dwell on that now harry, let�s wait till christmas before we begin to think
about that.� said julia has they continued to walk towards the castle.

the next day, the three chasers were walking the halls throwing the quaffle back
and forth. they even got fancy and by the end of the day were doing no
look passes. dean and seamus were quizzing each other on different situations with
the bludgers. even harry arranged to practice with julia twice a week
to learn better maneuvering techniques. everything seemed to be going a lot better
then last year, harry thought the only thing that would make it better
would be hermione talking to him.

the following week passed a little slower then the previous, harry was knee deep
in homework and without hermione�s help, he had to spend extra time to
make sure he�d get good grades. the middle of the week did bring an interesting
event, harry, hermione and ron were all walking into the great hall to
have lunch when malfoy ran right into harry. as the two made contact harry could
feel malfoy slip him a piece of parchment.

�watch where you�re going, scar head!� hissed draco. both hermione and ron were
too shocked to say anything back.

�that ungrateful git after all we did,� started ron.

�shh!� said harry. he grabbed both hermione and ron and pulled them out of the
great hall and into a secluded corner. �listen i forgot to tell you something,�
whispered harry as he looked around to make sure no one was listening. �malfoy is
spying for us along with the other eight slytherin. but in order to gain
back everyone�s trust he has to keep up the rivalry between him and us. he ran
into me to give me this note.� harry showed them the piece of parchment
in his hand.

�what does it say,� an impressed harmione asked. harry opened it and read it
quick.

�they�re in,� whispered harry. �come on let�s grab some lunch.� the three walked
back into the great hall and harry gave malfoy a small nod of understanding.
the three finished lunch and then harry and hermione headed to potions while ron
went to muggle studies. harry had noticed hermione slowly warming back
up to him, instead of just out right ignoring him she�d talk politely to him in
conversations or in class. it was obvious to all the gryffindors that something
wasn�t right with them. everyone including ginny approached harry. harry was doing
some studying in the big common room, knowing the hermione was in their
common room, when ginny approached him.

�harry, can i ask you a question?� ginny said from across the desk.

�of course,� harry had no clue what she was about to ask.

�why aren�t you an hermione talking?� ginny said bluntly.

�it�s kind of complicated,� harry said hoping ginny would drop the subject.

�well why don�t you just say you�re sorry?� ginny made it sound so easy.

�it�s a little more complicated then that. i really don�t think hermione wants to
talk to me,� said harry looking down at his homework.

�i don�t know you�d be surprised how much a heart felt apology means to people,�
ginny said as she packed up her belongs.

�i�ll try and keep that in mind ginny, thanks,� said harry. he thought for a
moment about what she had said. maybe she was right, maybe hermione was just
waiting for him to apologize and that�s why she still hasn�t talked to him. he
quickly packed up his stuff and headed for his room. he stepped through
the portrait and looked around. she had gone to bed. harry�s shoulders slumped as
he slowly walked over towards his room.

harry didn�t have to wait too much longer. the morning finally arrived for his
delivery. his plan was to wait until hermione and ron had left, and then
make his way down to breakfast. he heard ron knocking on his door.

�harry you coming down to breakfast?� he asked from the other side of the door.

�i�ll be down later,� said harry as he was putting on his pants. he waited five
more minutes until he was sure that both hermione and ron had left. harry
felt like it was christmas. he put on his best looking uniform and headed down to
the great hall. he stopped and stood by the entrance hidden in shadow.
he decided to wait until the owls had arrived then run up the steps to make it
look like he was just coming down to breakfast. he stood by the door for
what seemed like five minutes, though it was only two. the owls made their way
through the hall but harry didn�t see the snowy owl, panic set in. did he
write down the right date, did the shopkeeper forget to send her, did the new bird
get lost? his palms began to get sweaty he couldn�t take another day
of hermione not talking to him. just then a hint of white made it�s way into the
hall. it was her! harry took a deep breath and watched in excitement as
the bird landed in front of hermione. all the gryffindors watched as hermione read
the card then stood up to see where harry might be sitting. harry quickly
made his way to the staircase. he ran up the first flight of stairs then turned
around and slowly took each step.

�harry!� hermione cried from the bottom of the stairway. her face was glowing,
harry�s breath caught in his throat as he stared into her beautiful face.
they stood there a moment before hermione ran up the remaining steps and just
threw herself at harry giving him a big hug.

�oh harry!� she said in his ear. �i�m sorry i haven�t been talking to you, it was
so hard. there were so many times i just wanted to turn to you and talk
about how our days went. i also saw how hard you were working on homework and i
felt so bad.� she pulled away from him, but still held on to his arms.

�hermione, i�m so sorry about what i did. you trusted me not to hurt you but��

�harry, you could never hurt me. besides lets not talk about it, i just want my
friend back,� she gave him another hug. �let�s promise never to fight like
that again,� she said in a low whisper that made harry feel light headed.

�i promise,� harry said in a low husky voice, which sent shivers down hermione.
they parted from the hug again but were only inches a part. harry could
feel hermion�s breath become heavy. they stood there staring at each other for a
moment until a noise from the great hall broke the spell.

�you must be hungry,� said hermione trying to recompose herself. the two friends
walked into the great hall and when they sat down the whole gryffindor
table stared at them. the two gave everyone a smile and the whole table knew the
friends had made up.

harry was in a great mood for the rest of the day, he and hermione sat next to
each other in every class and caught up on the last two weeks. harry did
notice hermione staying after class to talk to julia but didn�t think anything of
it. he collapsed on to the couch in their common room once he was done
with quidditch practice. he noticed a note left for him and ron on the table next
to the fire.

dear harry & ron,

when you�ve cleaned up meet me in julia�s classroom, i have a surprise!

hermione

ron walked through the portrait and was heading towards his room when, harry
called out.

�hey ron, what�s this note about?� asked harry.

�what note?� ron looked like he was hiding something.

�this one, we�re supposed to meet hermione in julia�s classroom.�

�well i don�t know just clean up and we�ll find out.� ron said as he gave harry a
wink. what are they up too, thought harry.
twenty minutes later harry and ron we�re walking down to julia�s classroom. ron
wouldn�t give harry any hints about what was going on but he told harry
to just enjoy it. when they reached the door ron knocked twice.

�come in,� said hermione. ron opened the door to let harry in first.

�surprise!� yelled the group of people. hagrid, mr. and mrs. weasley, fred,
george, julia, dumbledore, mcgonagall, and hermione were all there smiling at
him.

�but it�s not my birthday, mind happened already,� said a shocked harry.

�we know harry but with all the happened over the summer we wanted to throw you
and hermione a birthday party,� said hagrid as he handed over a large piece
of parchment to harry.

�what�s this?� asked harry.

�i wanted ya to become a co-caretaker of a certain animal that now resides next to

my hut.� said hagrid giving harry a wink.

�really,� an excited harry asked.

�dumbledore managed ter get her off of the death charge,� smiled hagrid. harry
grabbed the papers and saw buckbeaks name at the top. he signed under hagrid�s
name then noticed that hermione and ron�s signatures were both on there. the four
weasley�s now stepped forward.

�well now that we�re the money bags of the family,� said george who quickly was
slapped in the back of the head by mrs. weasley.

�we got harry a two year subscription to quidditch monthly, and hermione a gold
chain tag for her new owl,� said fred handing hermione the box with the
tag and harry the september issue of quidditch monthly.

�all you have to do is say the owls name and the tag will inscribe it,� explained
george who was rubbing the back of his head.

�well, professor mcgonagall and i have wanted to give you this for a long time
harry and with the battle coming we figured this was the perfect time to
give it to you.� dumbledore pulled out a dark blue majestic robe that reminded
harry of the one julia wore the first night back at hogwarts. it felt as
soft as hedwig�s feathers, and when he put it on he felt warmth envelop his body.
�this robe used to belong to your father, it�s the robe of the order of
the phoenix,� explained mcgonagall. �when you wear this you�re impervious
to any weather, cold, hot, rain and snow. it also protects you from minor charms
and hexes. the most important thing it does is alert other order members
who are wearing their robe if you�re in trouble and they can apparate right to
you.�

�we also have your mothers robe and wanted to ask your permission if we could give
it to hermione,� added dumbledore.

�i think my mum would love it,� harry said while giving hermione a smile.

�oh harry, i can�t take this,� said hermione.

�you can take it and if you don�t i�ll be very offended,� smiled harry.

�oh don�t worry ronnie we had one made for you,� fred said as handed ron his new
robe. everyone laughed and began to dig into the cake that julia had got
from honeydukes. she didn�t have time to get him a gift so she told him if there
was anything he could think of or needed, to let her know and she�d get
it. once everyone was eating their cake and enjoying themselves, hermione took
harry aside to talk to him.

�i meant to give this to you on your actual birthday but with everything that
happened i forgot. happy birthday harry,� hermione smiled. she handed him
a small box. harry opened it to find a golden snitch with the engraving of �to: hp
love, hg.�

�i love it!� whispered harry. �thank you!� he gave her a hug. this was one of the
best days harry had, had in a long time. it felt good to have his friends
back and to enjoy being at hogwarts again.

chapter 10 : the search for answers

chapter 10: the search for answers

it was a cool autumn morning, a small mist hovered around the grounds of hogwarts
and the early morning dew was glistening. everything was at peace, the
faint sounds of birds chirping was the only thing that disturbed the early morning
silence, that and a dark haired boy slowly walking to the forbidden
forest. harry didn�t know why he had awoken early that morning but just felt this
urge to be near the forest. he walked along the very edge of the grass,
making sure he was far enough away to not be hit by the repelling charm. he was
wearing his order robe and held is wand firmly in his hand. he didn�t know
what to expect but felt that he needed to be ready. then something happened, at
first it came in split second pictures of people doing something and colors
flying all around. harry tried to concentrate on them, the images became longer
and harry was flying on a broom weaving in and out of people, he could
hear screaming and yelling. just then harry heard himself, it wasn�t harry riding
the broom but someone else. the person�s attention turned towards harry
who was face to face with voldemort. the image began to fade. harry dropped to his
knees and concentrated harder. the person riding the broom was moving
towards his position but some one stopped them, the image was breaking up, harry
was now using all his strength to see the image. the person was now on
the ground and looked up to see voldemort say something to harry. both ron and
hermione were standing next to him. then a bright light blinded the person
and with that the image disappeared.

harry was breathing very hard and his mind was racing, he had to tell hermione and
ron. he picked himself up and raced towards the castle. once he was in
his common room he knocked hard on both their doors.

�hermione! ron! get up i need to talk to you,� he was still catching his breath
from running and bent over at the knees. hermione was the first to open
her door. she was tying her robe in place as she stepped into the common room.

�harry,� she yawned. �what�s the matter?� she slowly made her way over to the
couch and sat down.

�hang on i want to tell ron, ron! get up!� harry said beating on his door. a
moment later ron was opening the door and giving harry the �this better be
good� look. without saying a word, ron moved to the couch and sat down next to
hermione.

�now what�s going on,� hermione asked again.

�i think i just had a vision of the battle, but i saw it through someone else�s
eyes not mine. but they were flying and then something happened and they
were on the ground and then they looked up and i saw myself standing next to you
guys facing voldemort,� this got both hermion and ron�s attention. �then
a light came out of nowhere,� harry stopped and looked at the two of them. they
were both wide eyed and mouths agape.

�and?� ron said now fully awake.

�that was it,� said harry in a disappointing manner.

�harry, are you experiencing dizziness or blurred vision?� asked hermione.

�no not really,� said harry, who was a little confused why hermione was asking
him.

�well, then it couldn�t be your vision. seers always have some sort of side effect
happen to them. headarches, dizziness, blurred vision or some type of
physical thing, because when you experience a vision it takes so much out of you,
your body doesn�t have the necessary means to replenish all the energy
you just spent.� said an anxious hermione.

�i don�t remember professor trelawney looking like she felt weird after her
prediction during our third year.� harry said trying to understand what he saw.

�yes but you said she didn�t remember even saying her prediction which means she
was in a trance, which is different,� said hermione.

�well if it wasn�t my visions, who�s was it?� a now troubled harry asked.

�that�s the question, who had the vision and most importantly how were you able to
see it?� hermione said as she looked over to ron then harry.

�who can we talk too?� asked ron.

�someone we think didn�t have the vision,� stated harry.

�exactly and i think i know the person we can ask,� hermione said with a frown.
�snape.� the two boys looked at her, then looked at each other.

�isn�t there somebody else?� pleaded harry.

�afraid not,� said hermione. �hey we better get going. meet you guys in the great
hall.� she said as she headed towards her room. both harry and ron also
went to their rooms and got ready. they all met down in the great hall and
continued their conversation.

�did you recognized what kind of light it was harry?� hermione asked as she ate
some eggs.

�no, it was nothing i had ever seen before, it was very white and blinding, the
one thing i can�t figure out is what direction it came from.� harry said
after he finished drinking some pumpkin juice.
�waaif it came from vod-da-mot,� ron said with his mouth full. both harry and
hermione looked at ron. �waa?�

�it surprises me some times just how clueless you can be,� hermione said in a flat
tone.

�come on you two let�s get to class,� laughed harry. the three made there way up
to julia�s class. julia was not her happy self, she was wearing the dark
blue robes, which harry concluded was her order robe, and some other more
wizarding type of clothes.

�morning everyone, today we begin your dueling training with rosie. so lets first
move the desks out of the way and line up at the back of the room.� she
said as she rubbed her eyes. julia then flicked her wand and the desks began to
move to the side of the classroom. the students all lined up in the back.
neville being the first in line took a small step forward.

�ah mr. longbottom, i want you to perform the petrificus totalus spell. but i will
warn you rosie will be moving around so this will show how good your
aiming ability is,� smiled julia. �wand at the ready,� neville raised his wand.
�begin!� rosie took of and started to fly around the room. neville waited
a few moments.

�petrificus totalus!� shouted neville. the spell clipped rosie�s wing and the
spell bounced off and the wall.

�don�t forget mr. longbottom if you don�t get a good shot, in the spell will come
back at you so make sure you protect yourself,� instructed julia who was
rubbing her head. neville took a deep breath then watched rosie fly around the
room again.

�petrificus totalus!� he shouted again. he got her square in the chest but the
spell came back so fast that neville didn�t have time to react.

�protego!� shouted julia pointing her wand at neville. the spell bounced off the
shield and fizzled into the wall. �reaction time is key, when you�re facing
an enemy it�s not going to be at a dueling club where they warn you. they will
keep throwing one spell after another until they get you.� julia was now
visibly upset. �everyone line up, i�m going to deflect spells from rosie to one of
you. wands at the ready.� everyone was now nervous and pointed their
wands at rosie.

�stupefy!� she shouted. the spell bounced off rosie and headed straight for draco
malfoy.

�protego!� he shouted at the last second, the spell was so close it knocked him
over. julia continued like this for the rest of the class, every time people
were not moving to her liking she�d immediately shout out another spell.

�again!� julia said in a firm voice. �locomotor mortis� this time the spell was
going between hermione and seamus.

�protego maximus,� shouted hermione. a giant shield now protected the whole group.
everyone was shocked but only one person noticed julia about to shout
out another spell.

�inpedimenta!� shouted harry pointing his wand at julia. julia immediately was
slowed down in her action. �everyone wands at the ready and when i say now
we all shout out protego maximus,� instructed harry. everyone now faced rosie.

�ex-pellll-iarr-mmmusss maaaxxiiimmusss!� julia said in slow motion. the spell

slowly made it�s way to rosie.

�once it hits rosie it will come back into real time so be ready,� harry said in a
commanding voice. the spell was moving close, people began to get restless.

�hold your position,� said hermione in a more tender voice. the spell was just
mere inches from hitting rosie.

�aim for the birds chest,� draco added.

�ready,� said harry. he wanted to wait one more second. �now!�

�protego maximus!� shouted the group. a bigger and stronger shield was covering
the group and just in time, the expeliarmus maximus spell hit the shield
hard. after a few seconds it died out. they all looked at each other with a sense
of accomplishment. for the first time that year the four houses came
together and this act did not go unnoticed, a clapping from the doorway could be
heard and professor dumbledore step into the classroom.

�well, done!� he said with a wide smile. he looked over at julia and flicked his
wand and she returned to normal speed. �that was marvelous, 20 points to
each house. now i believe its time for you to be on your way to the next class.�
the students began to pack up and just before harry, ron and hermione
walked out the door julia called out.

�hey you three,� they turned to face her. �good job,� she smiled at them. they all
continued to walk out the door and once they were around the corner hermione
stopped both of them and put her finger to her lips to indicate for them to be
quite. the voice of dumbledore and julia could still be heard.

�you can�t push them that hard yet, they don�t understand your reasoning for it,�
said a calm dumbledore.

�everyday we don�t train them is another student we could lose,� an upset julia
said. �i know you�re upset from the vision��

�upset! albus if i can�t figure out what i�m suppose to do, he could die.� julia�s
voice began to rise. the trio all looked at each other, hermione signaled
for them to leave. they all continued to creep down the floor until they felt far
enough away to start walking.

�well now we know who had the vision.� hermione said. they stood there for a
moment in silence.

�hey i�ve got get to the other side of the castle. let�s talk at lunch,� ron said
as he started speed walking away from the other two. harry and hermione
began to walk towards transfigurations, when hermione stopped dead in her tracks.

�what is it?� asked harry.

�muggle studies isn�t on the other side of the castle?� hermione gave harry a
funny look.

�we�ll watch which direction he goes to at lunch, we�re gonna be late.� harry said
while at the same time grabbing hermione�s hand instinctively. it wasn�t
until they were just outside the door that he realized he was still holding her
hand. he slowly let go of it and entered the class, wishing that he had
the guts to ask hermione if she liked him. they still had not talked about
hermione kissing harry and he didn�t want to push her especially since they
just started talking again, but he knew at some point they were going to talk.
transfiguration felt longer then julia�s class but harry was doing quite
well in the class since he was having extra lessons with professor mcgonagall. ron
sat across from harry and hermione at lunch. the three discussed what
they heard earlier.

�so its julia who is having the visions,� whispered hermione.

�but how can i see them,� asked harry who took a bit of food after.

�could she be in your head some how without you knowing, ya know like you-know-
who?� added ron.

�that could be it, i do have a feeling she didn�t mean for you to see that vision.
but if she is in your head without you knowing then she�s reached one
of the highest levels of occlumency someone can achieve. but why would she do it?�
a still whispering hermione asked. harry had gone quiet. in all the
rush he had forgotten the one thing that julia said that made a difference.

�albus if i can�t figure out what i�m suppose to do, he could die,� the words
echoed in harry�s mind. how was julia so closely involved with his fight against
voldemort and what was she supposed to do the night of the battle. harry�s
thoughts then drifted towards what the sorting hat said at grimmauld place.

�harry you okay?� asked a concerned hermione.

�i�m just thinking about what julia said,� harry said with a sad expression.

�don�t worry about that mate. it�s not going to happen.� ron said in an attempted
to cheer his friend up. �we better be off, i�ll see you guys at hagrid�s
later on,� ron said grabbing one more piece of food as he got up to leave.
hermione and harry both waited a moment then slowly followed him to see which
direction he was going in.

�it looks like he�s actually going to muggle studies this time,� said harry
looking at hermione.

�we�ll try to follow him after the next defense class,� suggested hermione as they
started to head for potions. snape hadn�t been as hard on harry as he
usually was, the lessons he took over the summer were helping him in class, but
harry didn�t think that was it. deep down harry knew that snape was grateful
for his help in aiding the slytherins in hiding. but harry also knew snape would
never show him any appreciation. once class was over harry and hermione
slowly made their way up to his desk.

�professor snape?� harry said in his most polite tone.

�what is it potter i haven�t got all day,� snapped snape in his usual fashion.

�sir i have a question about occlumency?� said harry.

�you�re taking lessons with the headmaster, not me potter, ask him,� snape said.

�i know sir, but i much rather ask you,� harry couldn�t believe what he was
saying. of course he�d rather ask dumbledore but if he did, dumbledore might
alert julia and harry wanted to know what was going on before the adults tried to
hide it.

�my my, this is a historic occasion. well go one mr. potter,� snape was now
completely loving watching harry ask for his help.

�umm, okay. can someone be in your head with out you knowing it? meaning you go
about your daily business with out knowing they�re there,� harry blurted
out.

�i suppose there are a handful of people in the world who have achieved such a
level. why do you ask?� snape was now more curious about what it was harry
was trying to say.

�well, say a person did have this ability, if they also happened to be a seer,
could the person who�s head they�re in see the vision too with out experiencing
any of the side effects?� harry couldn�t read what was going through snape�s head.
either he thought harry was a complete nutter or harry just stumbled
upon something he wasn�t supposed to know, like everything else in his life. snape
just looked at him for another moment, and then looked down.

�let me look into this potter, i want to make sure i don�t lead you down the wrong
path. but i must say if anyone was in someone else�s head and not controlling
it then it must be for that persons protection.� said snape now in a softer
manner.

�protecting them . . . from what sir?� said harry, not understanding what snape
meant.

�most likely from someone else who can control minds,� snape said in a blunt
fashion. �if i were you potter i�d focus on figuring out what the sorting hat
meant, by the power the you-know-who knows not and not dwell on this any longer.�
snape said as he rose from his desk. harry and hermione followed his
lead and walked out of the classroom.

�he�s right we haven�t spent any time on looking up what the sorting hat meant,�
said hermione scolding herself.

�what was it the hat said,� harry asked.

�love of a family, love of a friend, and the undying love of another,� said
hermione.

�well there�s already a problem,� harry said sadly.

�what?� a confused hermione asked.

�i don�t have any family members, that love me, left?�

chapter 11 : hogsmeade

chapter 11: hogsmeade

�i don�t have any family members, that love me, left,� said a depressed harry.

�maybe you don�t need them to be physically with you, as long as you remember that
they loved you.� hermione said trying to cheer harry up.
�yeah maybe,� said harry. the two slowly walked down to hagrid�s hut, and then
spent the whole class talking about creatures of the forest. harry didn�t
pay much attention. his thoughts drifted in and out. he was thinking about how
julia is involved in the battle, if the battle happen when the sorting hat
predicted, and of course hermione. each of them would steal quick glances at each
other every now and then. towards the end of class harry remembered another
problem he had yet to deal with, ron. harry knew that he needed to tell ron how he
felt about hermione but didn�t know how.

the three made there way up to the castle for dinner. hermione sat across from the
two boys. the castle seemed to be in a good mood considering the warnings
of bad things to come. everyone was finishing up desert when the headmaster stood
to address the students.

�it is with great pleasure that i�m announcing another yule ball, to be held on
the last day of school before you leave for winter break,� smiled dumbledore.
both harry and ron looked at hermione but she only returned one of their looks,
and harry was sure ron saw that she had looked at harry and not him. �i
wanted to make sure i told you all before the first hogsmeade visit so you�d have
plenty of time to look for you�re outfits ladies. have a good night and
sleep well.� dumbledore winked at the crowd. then with a clap of his hand the food
disappeared following his cue the students began to head to their dormitory
with a charge of electricity filling the air. harry, hermione and ron did not
speak until they got back to their common room.

�i�m going to bed, i�ll see you two in the morning,� smiled hermione quickly as
she headed for her room. harry and ron stood in an awkward silence for several
moments before harry decided to make the first move.

�i should probably get to bed as well. night ron,� said harry hoping he could get
to his room before ron could respond.

�harry,� ron called out just as harry grabbed the door handle.

�yeah,� said harry turning to face him.

�do you have any idea about who you wanna take to the ball?� asked ron.

�umm,� harry didn�t know what to say, he didn�t want to lie but he wanted to talk
with ron. �do you?� asked harry hoping to make ron now the uncomfortable
one.

�well i . . . uhh . . . haven�t given it any thought,� he paused. �well good night
harry.� ron went into his room. harry took a deep sigh of relief, the
first of a many disasters avoided. he went into his room and collapsed on the bed.
then a thought occurred to harry, maybe he wouldn�t have to confront
ron. as long as harry kept up the flirting with hermione and kept his cool, maybe
she would say no to ron and he would get that she doesn�t like him. he
couldn�t get mad at harry if hermione said no to him. harry sighed, but then ron
would be mad at hermione, plus harry wasn�t positive hermione cared for
him as much as he for her. all he was clinging to was the kiss and a hope that
those words she spoke were love of more then a friend.

the hogsmeade trip quickly arrived. all the girls could talk about was going
shopping while all the guys talked about honeydukes, the quidditch store, and
zonko�s joke shop. the only girl to not talking about buying their dress was
hermione, she had a new determination to figure out what the sorting hat meant.
she had been in the library every night since they asked professor snape about the
vision. she continued to talk about all the books she looked at as they
rode to hogsmeade.

�i even looked in hogwarts a history to see if the sorting hat had done this
before. nothing! all i can find are love potions and dating advice for the
young witch or wizard.� said hermione in an exasperated tone. once the carriages
had arrived, there was a mad dash for the clothing shop. the trio casually
strolled down the tiny village road. some people went straight to honeydukes while
others headed to the three broomsticks and of course there was always
a crowd at zonko�s joke shop.

�i think i�m gonna head over to honeydukes, what about you guys?� asked ron.

�i think i�m going to check out the book shop first, i�ll catch up with you,� said
hermione.

�same here i�ll catch up with you at honeydukes,� said harry hoping to get some
time alone with hermione.

�well, i might as well just stay with you guys then,� ron said while eyeing harry.
it had been like this since the other night. ron, as much as possible,
tried to be with harry and hermione at every turn.

�ron, you don�t like books.� stated hermione.

�yeah, so?� retorted ron.

�so why are you coming,� hermione continued. ron thought for a moment.

�harry doesn�t like books either,� ron smiled thinking he got the best of her.

�yeah but he actually reads them once in awhile, ron you love caramel dipped
apples, and if honeydukes runs out before you can get there you�re gonna blame
me. so go on ahead we�ll meet up with you,� hermione tried to smile. it was
obvious that ron�s behavior the last couple of days had gotten to her. obvious
to everyone but ron, who was now deep in thought about the apples.

�you�re right. i�ll see you guys later,� he said over his shoulder as he made his
way over to honeydukes. harry and hermione headed for the bookshop.

�i don�t know what has gotten into him, but if he follows me around any more i�m
going to scream,� hermione said as they walked down an aisle of books.
�honestly it�s like he�s trying to be my big brother or something. what does he
think i�m gonna do when he�s not lo�� hermione had turned around suddenly
and was now inches from harry. the two had been in this position before. they both
gazed into each other�s eyes, hoping the other would say something but
just as before they�re moment was broken this time by a familiar voice that had
entered the store.

�ah julia, have any luck with these books?� asked the old shopkeeper.

�no, got any more back there,� said julia. harry and hermione slowly crept to the
edge of the aisle they were in to take a peek at what was going on.

�afraid not, but i can send an owl to flourish and blotts in diagon alley to see
what they have,� said the kind old man.
�that would be much appreciated, once they�ve arrived send an owl and i�ll come
pick them up,� said julia.

�what was the subject again?� asked the shopkeeper.

�love, anything to do with love. love potions, hexes, incantations, charms.

everything.� said julia as she turned around thinking she was being watched.
harry and hermione took several steps back to make sure she couldn�t see them.

�alright i should hear back from them within the week,� said the storekeeper as he
grabbed the books julia had brought back.

�marvelous, thanks again,� said julia as she headed for the door. once she left,
the shopkeeper put the books down on a shelf behind the desk, then headed
to the back. harry and hermione crept up to the front, hermione peered over the
desk and looked at the books julia had taken out.

�those are the books i was going to look at,� whispered hermione to harry. they
heard the storekeeper coming back and headed for the door. once they were
safely outside hermione let out a groan of disappointment.

�i bet she already looked at all the books at hogwarts too,� said hermione. they
started to walk towards honeydukes.

�what about the books sirius left you,� harry stopped walking. that was the first
time he had said sirius�s name out load since the incident at the ministry.
he began to feel sadness overtake him. he hadn�t thought much about sirius since
he got back to hogwarts. as he thought about this, a small hand grabbed
his. harry looked up at hermione and smiled at her. he gave her hand a squeeze
then let it go.

�he left me six books. would you mind helping me with them? we each take three and
see what we can find.� she smiled at him, hoping to get his spirit up.

�deal, we�ll start tonight,� harry said with the same determination hermione saw
him have at the reading of sirius�s will. she nodded her head in agreement.
the two made their way over to honeydukes to catch up with ron.

later in the afternoon the trio headed to the clothing store. harry had decided to
wear his order robe to the ball but wanted pants, a jacket and shirt
to match it. ron had made money working at fred and georges shop for part of the
summer so he bought himself a nice new dark green dress robe with outfit
to match. hermione had taken several outfits into the dressing room but would not
tell either of the boys which one she bought. they had about an hour
left before they had to head back to hogwarts, and they were all about to go to
the quidditch store when neville approached harry.

�harry, would you come to the three broomsticks for a moment,� he asked.

�sure what do you need?� harry was curious what neville wanted to talk to him
about. hermione and ron followed and when they entered the pub a large group
of students huddled in a corner turned to face them. it was the da, all of the
remaining members were there, including what looked liked people who wanted
to join. harry was in utter shock at the amount of people that had gathered, even
cho and her friend marietta that squealed on them last year, where there.
as he approached, a space was made for him in the corner. he sat down and looked
around at all the familiar faces.
�we have a couple questions for you,� started neville nervously. �first, why
haven�t you started up the da yet? and second, why are some of the teachers
asking us what we feel towards you-know-who?� neville blurted out in one breath.

�um, i don�t know if i�m allowed to answer those questions,� said harry as a look
of disappointment washed over the group. �at least not here. do the da
members remember the room we used last year?� the majority of the group nodded
their heads. �meet me there tomorrow night after dinner, and i�ll explain
what�s going on.� the group started to break up. �and remember don�t come in one
large group, break it up so we don�t look suspicious,� harry added.

�thanks harry,� smiled neville. he was about to leave when harry grabbed him by
the arm.

�neville, i never got to thank you for helping me back at the ministry,� harry
realized he hadn�t said this to any of the people who had stood by him that
night.

�oh don�t worry about it harry, you�ve always helped me whenever i needed it,�
neville paused. �plus i could have been the one that you-know- who marked.�
neville said with a small amount of sadness in his voice. a moment passed between
these two friends.

�neville after tomorrows night meeting you�ll understand why you�ll be just as
important as me in the fight against voldemort.� harry said as he put his
hand on neville�s shoulder. �marked or not, everyone will be affected.� the words
hung in the air as hermione, ron, harry and neville stood there. the
four walked to the carriages in silence. harry didn�t realize how true his words
were. this fight wasn�t about potter versus voldemort. this fight was
about the survival of good or evil, the stakes were a lot greater then anyone
originally thought. no one talked until after dinner that night. harry was
lying on the floor next to the fire while hermione sat on the couch. ron had
several maps of europe and england spread out over the desk.

�ron what are you doing?� asked harry as he watched ron trace one of the lines on
the map. ron wasn�t paying much attention to harry when he answered.

�just looking at war,� said ron still looking at the different lines on the map.
harry looked over at hermione who just shrugged her shoulders.

she and harry had split up the books and each were reading one. harry�s book was
an older version of the magical creatures textbook that he had for hagrid�s
class. the difference between this older edition and hagrid�s was in the amount of
detail involved. the author spent two years with each creature he covered.
a wizard by the name of liam tate went all over the world to discover magical
creatures and their talents. harry was actually enjoying the book. he learned
that a phoenix could erupt into flames over the body of their masters to bring
them back from the dead. liam mentioned this act as the phoenix�s ultimate
sacrifice. they would rather have their masters live then themselves. as he
finished the phoenix section of the book he turned the page to see an eagle
much like rosie staring back at him. he started reading until a section of the
book caught his attention.

�hermione,� nervousness in harry�s voice. �have you ever talked to rosie?�

�not directly. only to talk to julia.� hermione said confused

�ron, have you?� harry asked.

�no, why?� ron could tell something was bothering harry.

�come on,� harry was up off the floor and heading towards his room.

�harry, where are we going? what�s the matter?� asked hermione.

�we�re going to julia�s class room.� harry walked back into the common room with
his invisibility cloak, and the marauders map.

�we all can�t fit under there any more mate,� said ron.

�we won�t need too,� harry said as he pointed his wand at the map. �i solemnly
swear that i am up to no good.� the map began to show where everyone was.
�look if we move quickly we have a clean route right to her classroom. come on!�
harry grabbed both of them and headed towards the portrait. once they
were out of gryffindor tower, harry checked the map again.

�hurry we can make it down the stairs before filch gets there,� harry said over
his shoulder as he sprinted towards the stairs.

�wait, what�s going on?� shouted hermione after him. ron and hermione continued to
chase harry through the halls.

�doesn�t he realize we�re prefects, we can go anywhere we want?� said ron as they
ran after harry.

�i have a feeling harry can�t think of anything right now,� hermione said running
ahead of ron. they reached the door to the defense against the dart arts
classroom. once in side harry slowly made his way to the up to julia�s office.

�lumos,� whispered harry as they entered the office. hermione and ron were still
out of breath as they entered.

�what�s this all about harry,� ron panted. ron leaned against the desk and in the
processes knocked over a picture frame. �sorry,� he said as he leaned
down to pick it up. he took a moment to look at the picture. �hey i wonder who
this is?� asked ron. both harry and hermione walked over to see the picture.

�that�s julia with her parents, she�s only eight.� said rosie from the corner of
the room. all three jumped back, harry then realized that ron and hermione
must have heard rosie.

�rosie i want you to talk to hermione and ron,� demanded harry. he waited a few
seconds then looked at his two friends.

�hermione who does rosie sound like to you?� harry asked in a frenzy. she looked
at him with a confused look.

�like mcgonagall . . . doesn�t she sound like that to you?� hermione asked
concerned. but harry didn�t answer.

�ron, what does she sound like to you!� harry said almost at a yell.

�like my mum,� ron answered quickly scared at harry�s behavior. harry turned
towards rosie now.

�how did you know my mum?� asked harry now a little calmer that he wasn�t crazy.
�harry! what�s going on?!� hermione was now the agitated one. harry realized he
hadn�t explained his actions yet. he faced ron and hermione.

�that book i was reading, it�s about magical creatures and when i got to the
chapter on original eagles i discovered something julia failed to tell us.�
harry turned to rosie. �when eagles choose to talk to you, they use a voice that
the eagle has heard before and someone you feel comfortable with.�

�only one book ever published that knowledge and that was many years ago,� said a
troubled rosie.

�did you two hear that?� asked harry.

�i�m talking to all three of you,� said rosie quickly. �where did you find that
book?�

�sirius left it to me,� said hermione out loud.

�i should have known, the house of black has been one of the oldest wizarding
families,� rosie said to no one in particular. �do you know you wrote it?�
she asked.

�liam tate!� spat harry.

�was that his pen name? that makes sense why they could never publish the book
again. they could never find him,� again rosie was not talking to anyone
of them but more to herself.

�what was his real name?� asked ron.

�his real name was liam potter, and he was harry�s great great great grandfather.�
said rosie with a sigh.

�what?� said a now very perplexed harry. �did you know him?�

�yes, i did. and your great great grandfather, your great gandfrather, your
grandfather, and your father harry. i have severed the potter family for five
generations.� rosie said. harry�s head was spinning. another thing that had been
kept from him, another piece of his family and his past that people failed
to tell him about.

�why didn�t you tell me!� yelled harry. the bird bowed its head slowly.

�because i was told not too, not until you were getting ready to fight voldemort.�
rosie said slowly.

�why? did dumbledore think i couldn�t handle it,� venom in harry�s tone.

�no, it was your mother,� rosie said as she raised her head to stare right at
harry. �she knew that if i interfered before now it could have altered events.�

�oh my god!� thought hermione who quickly figured that everyone heard her. �you�re
mum was a seer harry� hermione whispered. �which means-�

�which means she knew that her and james were going to be killed.� rosie quickly
said. there was a moment were no one said anything until harry exploded.
�you knew they were going to die and you did nothing!� screamed harry as he
pounded his fist on the desk beside him.

�i couldn�t interfere harry,� said rosie who seemed on the verge of tears.

�why?! why couldn�t you interfere!!� harry had never felt more enraged in his
life, this immortal creature could have saved his parents but instead let
them die.

�because lily asked rosie not too,� said dumbledore from the doorway, mcgonagall
and julia beside him. dumbledore continued, �if rosie interfered 15 years
ago,� he paused and took a long breath. �you would be dead.�

chapter 12 : leading up to the bigger meeting

chapter 12: leading up to the bigger meeting

�you would be dead.� the words echoed through the room. hermione seemed to be the
only one who understood dumbledore�s words. tears began to well up in
her eyes and again she forgot that harry and ron could hear her.

�no!� she thought.

�bloody hell,� thought ron.

�how?!� challenged harry.

�do you remember what i told you, your first year, about your mothers sacrifice
and why professor quirrill couldn�t touch you?� a very calm dumbledore asked.

�yes,� harry said tentatively.

�if rosie had interfered that night, voldemort would have escaped and attacked you
several days later, but you�re mother would have not gotten to your room
in time and all of you would be dead. and we would still be living in darkness,�
dumbledore said with sorrow in his voice.

harry just stood there in silence. he didn�t even think anything for fear that
hermione and ron might say something. his heart was pounding so hard it was
deafening. not only did he have a prophecy about his connection to voldemort, but
his parents knew they were going to be murdered. his whole life had been
planned and there was nothing harry could do to escape it. the walls began to
close in on him. he quickly grabbed his cloak and map and sprinted past everyone.
harry didn�t know where he was going but knew he just needed to get out of
hogwarts, everywhere he looked he was reminded of his life. he threw the
invisibility
cloak over himself as he ran to the front doors. the cold night air whipped around
harry as he continued to run from the school. he soon found himself
standing in the middle of the quidditch pitch panting and out of breath. he took
off the cloak and dropped to the ground. he didn�t know what to think.
so many aspects of his life had already been decided and yet so many things were
still unknown. he looked up to the sky and watched the stars for several
minutes. maybe it would have been better if he had died with his parents.

�why couldn�t i have died with you,� begged harry. his parents knew they were
going to die in order to save him. this information caused harry to reach
the breaking point. he didn�t want to be the boy who lived. he wanted to be the
boy who died with his parents. just then, as harry thought about how much
being dead would help everyone, the wind began to pick up.

�harry,� the voice carrying on the wind.

�who�s there,� harry asked in a low voice.

�you must live!� said the faint echo that was louder this time.

�i don�t want too,� harry said barley above a whisper. then harry�s heart stopped
at the next phrase that was uttered

�i only ask for one favor in return, defeat him.� the wind emphasized the last
words one more time. �defeat him.� harry�s heart was pounding. those were
sirius�s last words to him in that note. harry�s eye�s widened. did sirius just
talk to him from beyond the grave? he just stared at the stars hoping to
hear the wind echo one more phrase. but as harry knelt on the ground waiting,
shadows began to make their way towards him. harry heard a low growl behind
him. he turned to see a wolf flashing its teeth in his direction. he jumped to his
feet and pointed his wand at the animal but before he could react the
animal charged towards him and leaped in the air. harry dove to the ground and
watched as the wolf tackled a death eater about to strike.

�get him!� yelled a voice. harry scrambled to his feet but couldn�t see where his
attackers were.

�lumos maximus!� shouted harry. the light leaped out of his wand and for a moment
stunned the three death eaters around him, one of which was fighting off
the wolf that was still attacking it. just then a magnificent looking creature was
galloping towards him. it was a unicorn which had it�s head bent so
the horn was at ramming position. the death eaters saw this and started to run the
other direction. the unicorn stopped in front of harry and knelt down.
he picked up his belongs and jumped onto its back. the death eaters were coming
back now but the unicorn, which was much faster then any horse and was
already halfway to the castle.

�don�t worry potter! the dark lord will get you! one way or another!� boomed a
familiar voice from the pitch. harry quickly turned his head to look behind
him but all he could see was the wolf running to catch up. he turned around to see
that they were almost at hogwarts. the unicorn slowed down and harry
saw dumbledore, mcgonagall, julia and mad-eye standing in the doorway. where did
mad-eye come from, thought harry. he slid off the unicorns back and turned
to look at the two animals that had been his rescuers. it then dawned on him who
they were.

�hermione? ron?� harry asked. the animals slowly transformed into his friends both
of whom did not look happy with him. hermione slowly walked up to him
and slapped him across the face.

�you can�t be careless with your life harry! you�re parents gave theirs for you to
live not to throw it away!� she cried at him. she stormed passed him
and continued into the castle followed closely by ron who didn�t even speak to
him. now harry was starting to get a little angry. what right did they have
to get upset with him? he slowly made his way to the doorway.

�of course you go to the one spot no ones guarding,� huffed mad-eye who was giving
harry the once over with his electric blue eye.

�why didn�t anyone tell me?� harry said much calmer then before.
�it wasn�t for us to tell harry, rosie was bound to a promise she made to your
mother those 16 years ago,� said dumbledore disappointment in his tone.

�rosie wanted to help harry, but you�re mother tricked her into leaving the night
they were murdered. lily knew if rosie were around she would still have
tried to help them. rosie loved them just as much as you do harry, your family has
been her family for many years and for her to not be able to keep them
alive was devastating. she�s had to carry that grief ever since,� explained a
tired julia. harry began to feel terrible. he hadn�t even thought about what
rosie feels every time she sees him. it was clear to everyone standing there that
harry felt bad for his behavior.

�it�s okay harry, we know it came as a shock. you had every right to feel
overwhelmed, but i do suggest you go and apologize to rosie,� smiled mcgonagall.

�right,� said harry. �proffessor mcgonagall, how did hermione and ron change? up
until the other night i was the only one who could hold form for longer
then 10 seconds.� asked harry.

�emotions are a powerful thing harry, when your friends feared you had run away an
instinct took over. the best way to find you was to have ron turn into
a wolf and follow your scent, and if you were in danger, hermione would get you
out of that area faster as a unicorn then you two running on foot.� mcgonagall
explained putting a hand on harry�s shoulder.

�they care for you very much harry, and it hurts them to see you be destructive
towards yourself when they know you�re better then that,� dumbledore said
as the group walked into the castle. the group of adults waited in the hallway out
side julia�s classroom while harry went in to talk with rosie.

�rosie?� harry said as he entered the office. she was still on her perch with her
head hanging low. �rosie,� harry didn�t want to scare her if she had fallen
asleep. the bird slowly raised its head and looked at him.

�i�m so sorry harry, i should have told you sooner.� pain in rosie�s voice.

�i�m sorry too, i don�t remember my parents and i never really saw them die. but
for you to have to turn your back and let that happen must be very hard.
and i didn�t think about that,� he paused. �i just have one question?� said harry.

�anything,� rosie seemed happier.

�i know you�re julia�s and i understand if you�re loyalty is to her but i was-�

�once this battle is over my services to julia is over, and i am to serve the
noble harry potter. if you�ll have me.� julia extended her wings and bowed.

�as long as the noble creature known as rosie won�t mind telling me stories about
my parents,� harry bowed in return, he remembered reading that eagles
were just as proud as hippogriffs. he said his goodnight and headed for the door.
the adults were still waiting for him and escorted him back to gryffindor
tower. he walked through the portrait to find their common room empty. he was
going to have to apologize to ron and hermione in the morning.

when he awoke the next morning hermione and ron had already left for breakfast.
ron must really be mad if he got up early, he thought. harry got dressed
quickly and headed for the great hall. he was passing the broom closet on the
second floor when he heard something.

�pisst! harry, in here!� came a small voice. harry casually walked over to the
room and slipped in without anyone seeing him. it was padraig the young slytherin.

�we heard you were attacked last night, we didn�t know anything was happening,�
said padraig feeling a little guilty.

�it�s okay it was my own fault,� said harry trying to make padraig feel better.

�well, draco wanted me to talk to you before you heard it from anyone else or read
it in the daily prophet.� the young child took a moment to collect his
thoughts. �there was a jail break at azkaban last night, and we believe the
dementors let it happen. they�re still there, but we think they�re only staying
so not to arouse any more suspicion.� padraig stopped to see what harry thought.
harry now realized who had yelled out after him last night. it was lucious
malfoy, he must have just broken out when they saw harry in the quidditch pitch.

�thanks for the update, please thank draco and if you guys hear anything else let
me known,� harry smiled at padraig, he didn�t want to tell him about draco�s
father because harry knew that draco might want to go after him. �i�ll leave
first, then wait about two minutes and then you go.� harry slowly exited the
broom closet and headed down to the great hall. both hermione and ron were already
there, but the mail had not come yet. harry quickly walked over to the
table and sat across from them.

�guys i need to talk to you.� they both continued to ignore him. �look i�m sorry
about last night, i shouldn�t have runaway like that but you have to understand
that i didn�t know what to do. it was a lot to take.� harry now pleading.

�we know harry, but now with everything we learned you can�t take chances like
that anymore,� hermione said still a little upset with him. �it just scared
us when we couldn�t find you.� harry was now devastated seeing how worried
hermione was and he just wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her everything
will be okay, instead he reached over and grabbed her hand.

�i promise not to scare you like that again,� harry reached out with his other
hand to grab ron. �both of you.� he smiled.

�brilliant, now what did you have to tell us,� smiled ron as he dove into his
food. harry leaned forward and whispered what padraig had told him. as he
finished telling the story the flapping of owls could be heard coming into the
great hall.

a daily prophet landed in front of hermione the headlines said it all. �major
jailbreak at azkaban.� the three friends looked at each other, things weren�t
looking too good. the whole school was buzzing with the news, several times
through out the day people were coming up to harry to confirm that the meeting
was happened.

�what meeting?� asked a confused harry, who was immediately elbowed in the ribs by
hermione.

�you know the meeting you set for tonight,� she hinted to him.

�oh yeah . . . yes it�s still happening.� harry felt a little sheepish. he
couldn�t even remember his own meeting. the day went by very quickly and before
harry knew it he was sitting at dinner trying to eat as fast as possible. he still
hadn�t thought about what to say at the meeting and wanted to have some
time to think before everyone showed up. he went up to the room and thought of a
nice comfortable place for people to sit and listen to him talk about
the battle. he entered the room to find soft fluffy chairs and pillows lining the
floor, and a small platform for harry to stand on. he took a seat on
one of the comfortable chairs and began to think about what he wanted to say. he
then thought about how he needed some pumpkin juice in case his throat
got dry. at that moment there was a knock on the door. harry thought it might be
hermione and ron but when he opened it no one was there. he shrugged his
shoulders and closed the door but when he turned around a large pitcher of pumpkin
juice was sitting on a table with two glasses. harry laughed to himself.

�thank you dobby, wherever you went,� he smiled at how dobby always took good care
of him. pretty soon people began to show up, everyone harry had seen
at the three broomsticks had come, along with even more people. once the
ravenclaws had settled into their seats harry stood up.

�is this everyone?� he asked neville.

�yes, we�re all here,� responded neville.

�good,� harry started to feel a little nervous. he hadn�t talk to this many people
before. he poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice and quickly drank
it. he scanned the room until his eyes rested on hermione. she gave him a small
nod and a beautiful smile. his confidence now renewed harry cleared his
throat to begin.

�i�d like to thank you all for coming,� harry took a breath. �some of you probably
heard about what happened at the end of school last year. several of
us went to the ministry because i thought voldemort was holding a friend of mine
hostage. while we were there, death eaters attacked and we fought them
off until dumbledore showed up-�

�you fought off death eaters?� gasped susan bones.

�yes we did and ron was brilliant,� beamed luna. ron immediately went red in the
face.

�everyone showed an enormous amount of courage that night,� said harry. �several
of you i never got to thank for sticking by me-�

�it�s okay harry, just like neville said, you�ve always been here for everyone
else.� piped up hermione, trying to give harry more confidence.

�yeah, i got and e in defense against the dark arts on my o.w.l�s!� said an
excited hufflepuff.

�my mum can�t even conjure a patrons and when i showed her mine i nearly got the
stuffing squeezed out of me.� said a ravenclaw.

�you�ve helped us all harry, that�s why we�re here tonight. to help you,� said cho
chang. the group began to clap and cheer. harry never thought about how
much the da had meant to people. he raised his hands to quiet everyone down.

�well then i guess i�ll just come right out with it then. you all remember the
sorting hats warning at the beginning of the year?� the group shook their
heads. �well the sorting hat gave me a warning this summer,� harry looked into the
crowd hoping not to shock them too much with what he was about to say.
�there is a battle coming, on the longest night in june, here at hogwarts.
voldemort is trying to gather an army to take out the school. he knows this
is the last place that is safe for those who oppose him. all summer dumbledore has
been gathering an army as well, but we need more help,� harry waited
for any type of reaction.

�is that why teachers have been asking us how we feel about voldemort? to see if
we�ll fight!� asked an excited dean thomas.

�yes, some time after halloween, or even after the feast, i don�t know when,
they�re going to ask who will fight with us,� said harry. the creevey brothers
stood first.

�we�re with you harry!� they both said at the same time.

�i�m always up for a good fight,� smiled seamus as he stood up.

�well, gryffindor�s won�t get all the fun, count me in!� stood cho. the rest of
the crowd all stood up each yelling.

�they wont know what hit�em!� shouted a hufflepuff.

�you-know-who isn�t going to scare me any more!� shouted a ravenclaw. hermione

slowly stood.

�hey!� she shouted to get everyone�s attention. �this information can not leave
this room. you all need to sign this piece of parchment . . . and you all
heard about what happened to the last person to sneak.� hermione glanced over to
marietta and cho. she pinned the parchment to the door and handed the
quill to susan bones. after everyone signed the parchment, hermione handed it to
harry for him to be the last signature. as soon as he finished signing
another cheer went up. the crowd now stood and waited for harry to say something.

�well, let�s get back to our common rooms. the bigger meeting will happen soon.�
harry said in a confident tone. the groups took turns leaving the room
and soon it was just ron, hermione and harry left.

�i think you were great harry,� said hermione as she sat down on the pillows.

�i�m surprised how excited they were,� said ron trying to sit close to hermione.

�they�re excited now, but when dumbledore talks with everyone at the meeting he�ll
make it sound much more serious.� harry said grimly. there was a noise
in the corner that caused the three to pull out their wands.

�please don�t hurt me harry potter sir, its just dobby,� the house elf said as he
crawled out from the corner he was hiding in.

�bloody hell, dobby! you scared the-,� ron paused and realized he could only
really get away with one �bloody hell� but not two. �the living daylights out
of us,� he finished.

�dobby why were you hiding?� asked harry.

�you see sir, the house elves wanted me to give you a message once the meeting was
over,� dobby hesitated.

�what�s the message dobby?� asked hermione.

�the house elves want to fight!�

chapter 13 : halloween and the big meeting

chapter 13: halloween and the big meeting

harry awoke the morning of halloween in a bit of a mood. the quidditch match
against slytherin had been postponed due to the whole team coming down with
a rare case of food poisoning, which harry felt ron had something to do with. both
he and dean thomas seemed too happy about the whole team getting it.
so instead harry asked to have a pick up game with hufflepuff, which proved to be
very useful. however harry had one monstrous bruise on his chest. seamus
was trying to get the hufflepuffs seeker who was tailing harry but just as he hit
the bludger harry had seen the snitch and started to go for it, this
resulted in harry taking the bludger directly in the chest. what was amazing is
that harry didn�t fall off his broom, but he hadn�t told anyone about how
bad the bruise looked.

he slowly pushed himself up on his bed and saw a card lying on his bedside table.
he didn�t recognize the handwriting.

dear mr. harry potter,

the headmaster wanted me to inform you that tonight after the feast he will ask
those to join the cause. he wanted to give you advanced notice so you could
spread the word to the da to be prepared. see you at the meeting.
sincerely,
dobby
house elf

this was what harry needed, something to start happening. now they could start
getting ready for this battle. with a renewed energy harry got up and headed
for the shower. when he left his room he found hermione in the same spot she was
sitting in last night and still reading one of sirius�s books.

�hermione did you go to bed?� asked harry.

�oh yeah just a couple of minutes after you,� she said with out looking up from
the page she was reading. �i just got up early so i figured i might as well
read more of the book.�

�how�s it going?� asked harry as he sat down next to her.

�well i�m learning a lot about the accident magic and how it revolved a lot more
around emotions and nature but nothing about love yet,� she looked right
at harry who was staring at her in the strangest way. �harry you okay?�

�yeah, sorry about that,� harry had been watching how the firelight made hermiones
hair come alive. �so let me see what you�ve been reading,� he said. hermione
scooted closer to him and harry put his arm on the couch to allow himself to get
even closer to see the book.

�well you see here they�re talking about how at night you can use this incantation
to make yourself look like a shadow�� hermione turned to face harry in
mid sentence and as before they were only inches from each other. harry sensing
the moment slowly reached over and grabbed her hand. he rubbed his thumb
over her palm as he continued to look into her eyes.
�hermione i was umm � well you see i want to ask if maybe�� the sound of ron�s
door opening caused the two to jump apart before ron could see. he slowly
walked through the door scratching his head and yawning.

�i�m starving, lets eat,� said ron as he continued to walk through the portrait
without stopping. harry and hermione just sat there staring at the portrait
closing behind him. then they looked at each other and burst in to laughter.

�i swear he could eat a horse and still be hungry,� laughed hermione.

�no, he�d just wonder what was for dessert,� giggled harry. he stood and offered
his hand to help hermione up. after she stood instead of letting go she
laced her fingers between his. the two walked hand in hand down to breakfast,
unaware of the people staring at them. they both let go of each other as
they reached the great hall and sat down across from ron who was stuffing his face
with eggs and sausage.

�so i have a confession,� said ron, who was starting to giggle, �i planted some of
fred and george�s new vendetta vapors in the slytherin locker room one
night before they had a practice.�

�i knew you had something to do with it. let me guess, dean thomas helped,� said
harry.

�how�d you know?� gasped dean thomas who was sitting next to ginny.

�you guys both seemed a little too happy about the whole team getting sick,�
teased hermione, who then gave harry a smile. �what are vendetta vapors ron?�

�well, there these little capsules that you break open. leave them hidden in a
room for about five minutes. then whoever walks in that room for the next
hour is going to be very sick the next day. that�s why fred and george named it
vendetta vapors, so you can get back at someone with out them ever knowing.�
laughed ron as he looked in harry�s direction. harry had the sinking feeling he
was going to experience one of these attacks after he and ron talked about
hermione. �blast, i forgot my books up stairs, i�ll see you guys in class.� ron
said as he was getting up from the table. harry and hermione continued
to eat until luna approached.

�come on you two we�re going to be late to julia�s class,� said luna. harry
suddenly remembered the note he had received this morning and pulled luna down
to sit with him and hermione.

�i forgot to tell you guys, i got a note this morning from dobby. dumbledore is
going to do it tonight after the feast,� whispered harry. �luna spread the
word to all the ravenclaw da members to be ready!�

it didn�t take long for the word to spread to all the da members and to malfoy and
the eight slytherin. harry wrote a note and knocked into him after julia�s
class. at lunch he had seen draco give him a small nod of understanding. harry
could tell the teachers were nervous, he didn�t know how dumbledore was
planning on keeping this a secret. the students who didn�t join would surely write
their parents who would in turn tell voldemort. but harry soon forgot
all about it, the halls of hogwarts were still buzzing with excitement for the
feast. all the ghosts were in high spirits, especially peeves who seemed
to keep filch busy all day with one prank after another. as dusk approached the
grounds were soon lit with the soft lights from inside the pumpkins that
hung all around the school. it was soon time to head down to the feast but before
the three left their common room harry asked for both hermione and ron
to bring their order robes, but wouldn�t tell them why. all he said was that
dumbledore asked him to pass the message along. harry was actually planning
on taking a picture of the new order of the phoenix which he would make copies of
to give to everyone at christmas. he had talked with dumbledore and colin
to help him plan it earlier in the day.

the trio entered the great hall to the sweet smell of candy apples, chocolates,
and any other type of candy one could think of. the sounds of children�s
laugher filled the hall. friends and enemies alike enjoyed the feast that was
before them. harry took it all in. he watched dean thomas try and win back
ginny by impressing her with his charm, but harry could sense ginny was watching
someone else. he followed her eye line until he was looking at draco malfoy.
but for some reason harry wasn�t surprised, ginny had spent a lot of time over the
summer bringing the slytherin�s food and asking if they needed anything.
now ron on the other hand, might go ballistic if he knew so harry decided to keep
this little secret he discovered to himself. harry also watched as luna
lovegood continued to stare at ron who was trying to ignore her as much as
possible. then a sad thought entered harry�s mind. some of these people who
were now enjoying the feast with out a care in the world would soon be joining the
fight and some might not make it through the battle. he then felt a
nudge from the person next to him.

�you okay?� asked hermione.

�yeah i�m fine, just thinking about things to come, that�s all,� harry tried to
smile back but he knew hermione would keep pestering him, but he was saved
by dumbledore standing up to address the crowd.

�i hope you all are enjoying the feast?� asked dumbledore. a cheer rose from the
crowd. �wonderful, i would also like you to give a hand to those hard working
house elves who take pride in there efforts to make every halloween better then
the last.� again the crowd cheered. �also to our care of magical creatures
professor hagrid for a marvelous patch of pumpkins this year.� the gryffindor
table cheered particularly louder then all the other tables for hagrid. the
cheer died down and harry could tell dumbledore was preparing to talk about the
battle.

�some of you may remember that the sorting hat gave us a warning, that the four
houses need to unite and become one. also that history books would remember
what you did here and how brave you will be. the sorting hat gave you this warning
for a reason,� he paused and took a moment. �a battle is coming to hogwarts,�
the hall became deathly quiet, even the ghost stopped to listen to the headmaster.
�many of you know that voldemort has returned to power, but before he
can take back the fear he used to hold over everyone, he must first destroy this
school. these walls, your teachers and you are the only thing standing
in his way. he knows this school is a safe house for all that oppose him and until
he can stop us, hope will always live.� he stopped and looked right
at harry, �some of you may think that this is about voldemort getting back at the
one person who stopped him last time . . . this is not about harry potter
versus voldemort!� dumbledore said in a very strong tone. �this is about
controlling everything that is good about our world, and it�s future. tonight
i stand before you not as your headmaster but as one wizard who will stand and
fight for you, for all children of magical power so that they can learn
and develop their skill with out fear and hatred,� dumbledore slowly started to
walk around the teachers table. �i stand here tonight as a wizard who will
to do whatever it takes to make sure hogwarts will be opened to all who wish to
learn and i stand here tonight to ask for your help for i can not do it
alone.� gasps could be heard through out the hall.

�some of you may think that the adults should handle this, that we are more
trained to handle death eaters, but this is your school, not there�s. you will
fight harder and stronger then anyone to protect that which you love, and i know
many of you love this school,� as dumbledore spoke harry could see kids
nodding their heads. �i am asking you to join me in fighting this battle, to work
with the aurors and other adults that will join us because with you,
we are much stronger then anyone can imagine. together we can take any force . . .
who will join us?� asked dumbledore. harry looked down the table and
everyone gave him a nod. he slowly rose and cleared his throat.

�gryffindor will join!� said harry in a strong voice. a cheer erupted from the
table as everyone stood.

�so will ravenclaw!� shouted luna as she and about three quarters of the table
stood.

�and hufflepuff!� said susan bones, hannah abbott and about three quarters of
hufflepuff�s stood. both gryffindor and ravenclaw cheered, but then a hush
feel over the crowd as everyone stared at the slytherin table. draco made eye
contact with harry and started to rise.

�what�s he doing? he�ll blow his cover!� whispered ron. harry just shrugged his
shoulders. the crowd watch in anticipation as draco slowly stood.

�the sorting hat said that the four house needed
down at the rest of the table. about one quarter
surprise. �slytherin will fight.� after a moment
a thunderous roar. dumbledore gave draco a smile
the teacher�s table.
to united,� he paused to look
of the table stood to everyone�s
the three other tables burst into
as he walked back behind

�for those of you who do not wish to fight, please understand that no hard feeling
will be held towards you. but i ask that you follow professor snape and
leave the hall.� said dumbledore. the group of ravenclaw, hufflepuff, and the
majority of slytherin walked out of the front door. once the doors were closed,
dumbledore closed his eyes and started to chant. when he reopened them he looked
at the crowd and waited for several minutes until the door reopened and
professor snape and madam pomfrey walked in.

�it worked headmaster, they�re all asleep, and their memories completely wiped,�
said professor snape as he walked towards the table.

�thank you professor snape and madam pomfrey,� said dumbledore. �some of you might
be wondering why we asked them to leave. what we�re doing must be kept
a secret. the dark lord must not known that you all have joined this fight, and if
any of you at any time feel that you made the wrong decision let me
or any of the teachers know and we will give you a potion which will erase any
memory you might have about this. so know that once you�ve made the decision
to leave you can�t come back.� dumbledore looked over the crowd to see if anyone
might want to leave, but all the students stood still. �now if the party
of slytherin�s could please move to either the hufflepuff table or the ravenclaw
table, we have some more guests.� instructed dumbledore.

�so those people will have no memory of draco standing up,� whispered hermione to
harry.
�it was a good move to prove to everyone else here they were serious about helping
us,� said harry.

�yeah but they must have known beforehand that the other slytherin�s memories were
going to get wiped. i doubt he�s that brave,� said ron smugly. dumbledore
raised his hands and clapped them twice a second later the slytherin table was
filled with the house elves.

�the house elves have asked to fight alongside the students they care for and
provide for everyday. hogwarts is their home just as much as it is yours,
and they want to help preserve it. i thank them for joining us here tonight and
now i will let julia take over from here,� dumbledore took and seat and
from where harry was standing he could see dumbledore looked tired. julia slowly
rose from the table and walked in front of it to address the crowd.

�first thing, first through third years will not be on the battle field,� said
julia as groans came from the group of students. �i understand your displeasure
but we need you all to assist madam pomfrey with the wounded and help protect the
school from any of the death eaters who might try to break in while the
rest of us are fighting. fourth through seventh you will be on the battle field
along side the teachers and aurors,� she started to walk down between the
tables. �you all will receive extra training to prepare yourselves for this fight.
we�ll split up into two groups, the first through third years in one
and the fourth through seventh years in another. you�ll have training every
weekend, and once a month we will meet in one large group,� julia walked over
to the house elves and grabbed a box dobby was holding.

�each of you will receive one of these necklaces. when the time for your meeting
has been decided it will show on the back of the medallion. please wear
these under all clothing so the students who are not fighting won�t see them.
also, on the night of the battle these medallions will allow madam pomfrey
and the house elves to monitor your health, as long as you have the medallion
touching your skin,� julia took a moment to set the box on a stool at the
front of the hall.

�genius i should have thought of that,� hermione said out loud.

�hermione, you did,� said a confused ron.

�i�m talking about the health monitoring, just brilliant,� said hermione who was
still impressed by the idea.

�by taking one of these, you are fully committing to helping us fight and we�ll
know if anyone spills this secret,� julia gave the crowd a menacing look.
�so again only take one if you know this is what you want to do.� julia
instructed. the crowd slowly made their way up front and people started to take
the necklaces. harry took a closer look at the silver chain in his hand. the
medallion was actually the hogwarts crest, with the four houses together on
the shield. he put it on and suddenly felt a warm wave travel down his body.

�you�ll feel a warm sensation go through you once you putt the necklace on but
don�t worry that means it�s working,� said julia as students began to put
them on. julia then explained how every meeting would be in a different place so
the other students wouldn�t get suspicious, and again explained how no
one was to tell anyone about their plans, not even their parents. once the group
left if was just harry, hermione, ron and the teachers. harry walked up
to dumbledore to see if he had gotten word to the other order members to come.
�where�s everyone else?� he asked.

�they should be arriving now,� smiled dumbledore as mr. and mrs. weasley, fred,
george, lupin and all the others walked into the hall.

�hey what are you guys doing here?� asked ron.

�dumbledore asked us to come,� said fred who was wearing his order robe. �and he
asked that we wear these.�

�thank you all for coming,� dumbledore said. �the group has seen many changes over
the years and i wanted to take a picture of the new order so that we
could always remember those who we fought bravely with,� smiled dumbledore who
winked at harry. �so if you all will please get into positions, colin will
take our picture.�

�fred, george stand over here,� said mrs. weasley.

�albus you should be in the middle,� grumbled mad eye.

�what color should my hair be?� asked tonks

�something besides blue,� teased lupin.

�hagrid, you should probably stand in the back,� said mcgonagall as she put her
order robe on. after a couple more minutes everyone settled into place,
all of them wearing their robes and smiling at the camera. harry, hermione and ron
stood in the first row on the lower step.

�everyone ready?� asked colin behind the camera.

�yes,� they all shouted.

�okay, 1 � 2 �3� said colin as a bright flash went off. �okay one more.�

�oh god, not another,� complained snape causing everyone else to laugh as another
flash went off. as the group began to break up harry ran over to colin
and asked him to get one more picture.

�hermione, ron over here,� shouted harry. �colin will you take a picture of just
the three of us?�

�sure harry!� said an excited colin. harry grabbed hermione and ron and the three
all held each other tight as colin took they�re picture. once he had the
shot, ron went over to talk to his parents and hermione went to talk with tonks
and lupin.

�how much will i owe you for all the copies of the group picture?� harry asked
colin.

�free of charge harry, and i�ll make copies of this last picture for hermione and
ron,� he smiled.

�please let me give you something,� harry felt bad.

�no, i wont except it,� he said as he packed up his camera. �but i do have a
question.�
�sure,� harry thought it was probably something about voldemort.

�how long have you and hermione been dating?� ask colin. harry completely went
numb. he stood there for a moment thinking he might have miss heard him.

�i � i�m sorry what did you say?� asked a terrified harry.

�how long have you and hermione been dating? the school has been talking about it
all day,� said colin confused by harry�s reaction. if the whole school
was talking about it that meant one way or another ron was going to hear about it,
even if it wasn�t true.

�why do people think we�re dating?� harry hoping it was just gossip.

�you two were holding hands on the way to breakfast this morning, it just seemed
like you guys were together.� colin explained, as he got ready to leave.

�oh,� harry could feel his hands getting sweaty and cold, how could he have been
so careless. �well, we�re not dating,� harry, said to colin as harry began
to walk away. he slowly realized he was going to have to talk to ron a lot sooner
then he thought.

chapter 14 : talking with ron

a/n: i just want to thank you all for the wonderful reviews. they keep me going !!
also, sorry if this looked like one big paragraph earlier.

chapter 14: talking with ron

it had been a week since the halloween feast, and the recruiting of the students
to fight. whenever harry walked down the halls he could tell who had joined
the fight, there was an unspoken nod that would pass between people, plus all the
students seemed to be working harder in class, mastering every skill
they could. everyone in julia�s class had joined the fight so they could openly
talk about it.

�julia may i try one more time� asked neville as they were practicing their
dueling with a boggart julia was able to get.

�of course neville, remember everyone, the dementors will probably be voldemorts
first line of attack. he won�t want to risk death eaters if he doesn�t
have to. if at any time a whole group can conjure the patronus it will be bigger
and stronger then just one person. ready neville!� asked julia.

�ready,� he looked nervous but neville grasped his wand tight and watched as julia
began to open the box. once the dementor was out, neville stood still
with fright.

�come on neville, think of your happiest moment!� cried julia.

�i don�t know if i have one,� he muttered with a cold breath as the dementor came
closer.

�neville, remember carrying hermione and fighting off the death eaters! you�re
gran was so proud of you!� harry shouted to him. just then harry saw neville
snap out of his trance and recompose himself.

�you�re right, i�m not scared of you!� neville yelled at the dementor. �expecto
patronum!� shouted neville. a giant lion leaped from his wand and charged
towards the dementor causing it to fly back into the box. the lion then trotted
back to neville and rested at his feet before disappearing.

�20 points to gryffindor! neville that was amazing! what did you think of?� julia
was ecstatic.

�when harry yelled out about us fighting the death eaters last year and then about
my gran, i remembered her reaction when i got my o.w.l�s. it was the
proudest she�d ever been,� said neville as he held himself high while walking back
to the group of students.

�good job all of you, now remember your homework assignment, i want each of you to
be able to conjure your patronus by next class,� she said as the class
began to pack up their belongings. harry had decided that he was going to talk
with ron later that night. the rumors had died down about hermione and harry
but ginny had approached harry several days ago to ask him about it.

�harry do you have a moment,� she asked while he was studying in the library.

�sure what�s up?� he paused from reading about the ferula charm.

�okay � is it true � that you know � um you and hermione,� she tried to finish her
sentence but it didn�t work.

�oh no you heard that rumor too? has ron?� harry asked.

�i don�t think so, why, is it true?� ginny was asking to protect her brother from
any heartache and harry could tell she was not going to be happy with
his next answer.

�not yet,� harry said.

�not yet,� repeated ginny in a cold tone. �so you plan on asking her to go out
with you is that it! behind my brothers back!� her voice was starting to
get louder.

�no!� harry whispered. �i haven�t asked her yet because i wanted to talk with ron
first. honest, besides you�re one to talk about doing things behind your
brothers back. how long have you been seeing draco?� harry blurted out. he caught
ginny completely off guard. the two looked at each other for another
moment then ginny cast her eyes down at the floor.

�we haven�t started yet, not officially, not until i talk with ron. besides we�re
just friends at the moment. he�s been talking to me about his mum and
how he wants revenge against his dad. he just needs someone to talk too� she
looked up at harry. they were both in the same predicament.

�well, i was planning on talking to him in a couple days, what about you?� asked
harry.

�probably after christmas break,� blushed ginny.

�good at least that gives him some time to recover,� laughed harry. ginny fell
silent for a moment.

�i�m sorry i got mad, it�s just i know he�s liked her for a while and i thought
you two were dating behind his back.� she slowly admitted.
�it�s okay ginny, i know you want to protect your brother. just remember i
consider him a brother as well and i don�t want to do anything that would
jeopardize
our friendship.� there was complete honesty in harry�s voice.

�i know harry, i know,� she gave him a hug and walked off. harry was glad she had
talk to him, at least if ron asked her about it she could tell him that
harry had the best intentions.

�potter!� snapped snape. harry was quickly brought back to the present as he
looked up from his caldron to see snape looking at him.

�yes professor,� said harry trying to remember what he was doing.

�come up here!� said snape. harry slowly walked up to his desk thinking he was in
trouble but realized that the class was packing up to leave. �about the
matter you asked me about several weeks ago.� started snape.

�oh yes!� harry suddenly understood what snape was talking about.

�he�ll join you out side miss. granger,� said snape who was peering behind harry
to make sure the room had emptied. once she closed the door snape looked
back at harry. �it has come to may attention that the dark lord has been trying to
feed you bad thoughts for the last month to try and weaken you. so a
staff member has been in your head diverting these images and that is way you saw
their vision,� snape seemed to soft much more then usual.

�thank you sir, i appreciate you looking into the matter,� harry couldn�t believe
that snape actually followed through on helping him.

�i would suggest that over the christmas break you ask dumbledore if you could try
and sleep with out the help of this person. i understand you have gotten
much better at occlumency, and if you can shield your mind on your own it would
make you much stronger against the dark lord in person,� snape almost sounded
like he cared what happened to harry. �no be off with you i have matters to attend
to,� he snapped in his old fashioned way.

�thanks again sir,� said harry as he left the room. hermione was still waiting for
him when he got out.

�what was that about?� she asked, worried harry might have gotten a tongue-
lashing.

�come with me,� harry grabbed her by the arm and went into one of the empty
classrooms on the second floor.

�harry what�s all this about,� she asked as he was closing the door.

�snape told me why i saw the vision. someone has been in my head this last month
or so. snape said that voldemort has been trying to feed me bad images
while i slept to try and weaken me but that a staff member has been blocking those
images out of my head. so when julia had her vision, that�s why i saw
it, because she has been protecting me.� harry said in one big breath. hermione
stared in amazement for a moment.

�so what do we do now?� she asked.

�snape mentioned i should try and block him out myself over christmas break,� said
harry, still wondering why snape gave him so much information.

�well now i know where i�m spending the holiday,� hermione said with a smile.

�but hermione, you haven�t seen your parents in months,� harry felt horrible,
feeling that he was taking hermione away from her parents.

�harry it�s okay, dumbledore talked with them this past summer,� hermione sounded
like she wasn�t telling the whole story.

�hermione,� harry said in a tender voice. �what are you not telling me?�

�nothing,� she said quickly. �come on we�re going to be late to hagrids.� and with
that she was off. harry had a feeling he was going to need to talk with
dumbledore about this, because he knew he wouldn�t get any answers from hermione.

it was soon dinnertime and harry was getting nervous. as they were walking down to
the great hall, harry had pulled ron aside and asked if they could talk
after dinner. ron just figured harry wanted to talk about the slytherin game that
was in the coming week.

�i figure that ginny and the other two are much quicker then slytherin�s chaser,
plus dean and seamus are more accurate with they�re bludger hits then crabbe
and goyle. plus you�ve already beaten malfoy twice,� ron said as he stuffed his
face with potato�s.

�yeah, you�re right,� harry said nervously. he looked over at hermione who was
reading another one of sirius�s books. �how�s it going?�

�horrible, this book is in celtic i can�t understand a word,� she said as she
closed the book with a huff.

�ya know � you shh � giv the booook � to ulia,� ron said as he was eating another
potato. both harry and hermione looked at him as if he were an alien.

�you might want to try that again ron,� harry said as he started to laugh. ron
quickly grabbed a cup of pumpkin juice and took a swig.

�i said, you should give the book to julia. she might understand a little bit or
know someone who does,� he smiled and harry and hermione look dumbfounded
that he came up with the idea.

�that�s a good idea, i�ll ask her to look at it after i go to the library,�
hermione started to pack her things.

�where are you going?� asked ron.

�i have some things a want to look up, that might help. i�ll see you guys back in
the common room.� with that she was off. harry was now visibly nervous,
he knew it was time to talk with ron.

�hey ron � � harry had barley gotten the words out of his mouth.

�yeah you wanna talk. where we going?� asked ron.

�julia�s classroom,� harry said as he got up from the table. they walked up to the
classroom. ron continued to talk about why gryffindor was going to pond
slytherin.

�i�m telling you mate nothing to worry about,� smiled ron as he turned to harry,
who was closing the door behind them. he then noticed how nervous harry
looked. �hey you alright.�

�yeah i�m fin �� harry stopped, he wasn�t fine. his insides were eating him whole.
one would have thought he was asking ron�s permission to marry hermione.
�i�m not fine, i need to tell you something and i need you to let me finish before
you say anything,� harry said as he gave ron a serious look.

�yeah sure,� said ron, who could tell his friend was struggling to say something.

�things have changed since last year,� harry started. �we�re now sixteen and i�ve
started to look at things a little differently,� more like i�ve started
to look at hermione differently, thought harry.

�harry,� ron interjected. �do you fancy boys? cause it�s okay if you do, i won�t
judge.�

�no! nothing like that,� scoffed harry. �i like girls,� harry paused. this was it
just say it and get it over with, he thought. �in fact, i like one girl
in particular . . . no it�s much more then that,� he took a breathe. �ron, i�m in
love with hermione,� harry waited for some type of reaction but none
came. �ron?� ron was still blankly looking at harry.

�i�m sorry i thought you said you were in love with hermione,� ron�s voice on the
brink of exploding.

�i did,� said harry in a soft voice. ron continued to stare, harry could tell he
was boiling mad.

�does she love you?!� ron shouted.

�i don�t know, i haven�t asked her yet. i wanted to talk with you first,� harry
making sure ron knew he wasn�t doing anything behind his back.

�oh thanks mate, how noble of you!� ron started to pace. �you knew i liked her!�

�you never told me ron, i always just assumed,� harry�s, voice becoming stronger.

�why?! why hermione?!� ron continued to shout. �you could have any girl in the
school, why her?!

�because all the other girls in the school are not hermione,� pleaded harry. �no
one works as hard on their classes as she does. no one bites they�re lip
the way she does when she�s concentrating. no ones smile can make me feel as alive
as hers, and if anything happened to her i don�t think i could go on.�
harry�s speech ended just as quickly as it had started.

�you think you�re the only one who notices these things!� spat ron.

�yes! because if you really liked hermione you would have had the balls to ask her
out two years ago!� harry volleyed back.

�is that so!� yelled ron.

�yes and the worst part is ron, you never planned on asking her out. you hoped
that maybe someday she�d see how you fancied her, and ask you.� harry couldn�t
stop himself. �but that�s not hermione! she wants romance just like all the other
girls she just doesn�t want to be babied.�

�i don�t baby her!� ron said through gritted teeth.

�no you just egg her on whenever you have the chance because that�s the only way
you know how to talk with girls,� harry now felt like he was defending
hermione.

�when did you become the girl expert, last time i checked your last girlfriend
dumped you because you couldn�t understand her,� ron thought he got the best
of harry.

�well at lest i had a girlfriend!� harry zipped back. ron stormed around the
classroom for a moment.

�why do you always get everything? you got to be on the quidditch team in your
first year! you got picked to be in the tri-wizards tournament! you�re the
famous harry potter and everyone loves you!� ron was completely venting, but harry
wasn�t going to take this.

�you�re right i�m the famous harry potter! the boy who might not live to see
seventeen!� harry screamed. �the boy who has lost everyone that he loves and
is scared that he might lose his best friends in this battle if he doesn�t figure
out that damn riddle!� harry was referencing the prophecy and expressing
his fears about the battle. he still hadn�t told hermione or ron about the
prophecy and now wasn�t the time. ron stopped pacing and looked at harry. harry�s
last comment had knocked some sense into him.

�be honest with me harry. what did you see that night back at grimmauld place that
made hermione mad at you?� asked ron in a much calmer voice

�ron i don�t know if i should,� it wasn�t harry�s place to tell ron about
something that happened in private.

�just tell me,� ron said in a serious tone.

�the night i was attacked, when dumbledore got me back to grimmauld place, after
he placed me in bed he asked hermione to look after me. she kissed me on
the lips after promising not to leave my side,� harry couldn�t make eye contact
with ron, but he could hear him laugh.

�i should have known. i�ve been an idiot all these years mate,� ron laughed. �if
you were in any danger, that�s all she thought about. hermione stayed up
the whole night to make sure you were okay. she refused to leave your side.� harry
still didn�t understand what ron was getting at. �cho had every right
to be jealous of hermione, because you two couldn�t go a day with out talking with
each other. this year was your first fight that resulted in you guys
not talking. whenever hermione was with me all she could talk about was whether
she was too hard on you or if she should continue not talking to you.�
ron looked down at the floor.

�you guys have always liked each other, but you didn�t know till now,� ron�s voice
now barley above a whisper. �i think somewhere in the back of my head
i always knew. i just didn�t want to believe it,� ron took a deep breath then
looked harry directly in the eye. �if it couldn�t be me then i�m glad it�s
you, i don�t think i�d trust any other guy,� harry started to smile at his friends
kind words. �but know this! if you hurt her in anyway, voldemort will
look like a walk in the park,� ron smirked.

�i�ll remember that,� said harry as he stuck out his hand to shake with ron�s.

�do me one favor, could you wait to ask her out for a little bit. i just need to
take some time so i can let her go,� said ron as he shook harry�s hand
slowly.

�of course, just let me know when you�re ready,� said harry.

�thanks . . . i�m going to take a walk. i�ll see you later,� ron slowly made his
way out of the classroom. harry stood for a moment in shock, he sat and
replayed the whole conversation in his head and after several moments it finally
set in. harry was free to ask hermione out! all he had to do was let ron
have some time and then he could tell her how much he cared for her.

chapter 15 : disaster strikes

a/n - thank you for the continued support, i hope you enjoy this chapter!

chapter 15: disaster strikes

the morning of the slytherin game came sooner then expected. harry felt like he
should be getting ready for the second game of the season not the first,
but as he was the new captain of the gryffindor team, he found himself pacing the
common room going over every play and strategy imaginable. he even held
a last minute practice the night before to make sure everyone had their
assignments down. he began to understand why oliver wood was so worked up before
every game, being captain meant you are responsible for everything that happens on
that field. another thing that was making harry anxious was ron still
hadn�t given him the o.k. to ask hermione out. harry figured that ron would at
least need a couple of days, maybe a week, but he was hoping not much longer
then that. it was still too early to head down to breakfast so harry decided to
walk outside and get some fresh air.

the halls of hogwarts were as quiet as a monastery. the bright early morning sun
fell through all the windows casting shadows here and there. harry slowly
made his way down to the back doors and pushed them open. he was blinded for a
moment by the sun but once his eyes adjusted he could see the hoops of the
quidditch pitch off in the distance.

�a little early for you to be up isn�t it?� came the soft voice of dumbledore.
harry wasn�t startled at all. he had a feeling the headmaster might show
up.

�no, not really, its nice to have the castle all to yourself,� said harry as he
continued to look at the pitch. dumbledore now stood right beside him.

�you�re mother use to do the same thing,� smiled dumbledore.

�that doesn�t surprise me,� chuckled harry. �i bet she was more nervous then my
dad about games.�

�oh yes, but she never showed it . . . at least not in front of your father,� said
dumbledore. harry smiled at the thought of his mum worrying about his
dad, but then a thought crept into his head.
�sir, if my mum was a seer did she know who she was going to marry?� harry wished
he could just ask his parents about when they feel in love. it was hard
for harry to try and figure these things out on his own. he longed to have some
one he could call family to be there when he had questions.

�she knew she would fall in love with a man of great courage and strength, just
like she had. i think when she came to hogwarts there was an immediate attraction
to james and though you might not have seen it displayed in professor snape�s
memory, they were truly meant for each other.� dumbledore spoke with warmth
in his voice as he recalled lily and james�s school years.

�so they had an undying love, just like the sorting hat mentioned?� asked harry.
dumbledore eyed him carefully.

�just like the sorting hat mentioned,� he beamed.

�how do you know if that�s what you feel towards someone?� harry had never known
love until he came to hogwarts.

�harry do you remember what i said at the end of last year. because you were
deprived of love for so long that you feel it on every extreme. if i�m not
mistaken, you have very strong feelings towards miss granger?� dumbledore winked
as he finished the sentence. harry began to blush.

�that obvious huh?� said harry as he looked down.

�only to an old man who can spot undying love a mile a way,� dumbledore put his
arm around harry. �now i do believe that breakfast is about to be served,�
the two turned around and headed for the great hall. harry ran back up to
gryffindor tower to grab his bag and broomstick. when he returned to the hall
harry put his bag down at his table and walked up to the staff table to continue
talking with dumbledore.

�professor,� harry was hesitant to ask his next question. �if hermione does
represent undying love, and i know ron represents the love of a friend, how
will i have the love of family? i only have my aunt left and i know she doesn�t
love me.�

�you�ve already found the hardest of the three, the last one will fall into place
before the battle,� said dumbledore as he looked at harry over his half
moon glasses.

�yes but even if she did have a change of heart, what am i to do with these three
elements?� asked harry as the first set of children filed into the hall.

�that my boy is the mystery,� said a worried dumbledore. �we can talk more again
later, right now you should have some breakfast. you need your strength
to beat slytherin today,� dumbledore whispered. �besides i have a bet with snape
and julia that you can catch the snitch in under fifteen minutes,� he
laughed.

�under fifteen minutes it is then, i won�t let you down,� harry chuckled as he
left the staff table. ron who looked like he hadn�t slept in days soon joined
him.

�what are you doing up this early?� asked harry as he ate some toast.

�couldn�t sleep, i started worrying that everyone forgot what to do and before i
knew it i was up going over the play book again and again,� said a paranoid
ron as he started to fill his plate.

�i felt the same way, but i don�t know why,� added harry.

�probably because if we lose they�ll blame us . . . well you more then me,� said
ron as he stuffed a fork full of food in his mouth.

�i never thought of that,� gulped harry.

�oh by the way mate,� ron paused and looked down at his plate. �go ahead and ask
her.� harry just sat still for a moment with his toast halfway in his mouth.

�are you sure, if you need more time ��

�no i�m sure,� ron gave a small smile. the two friends continued to eat in
silence. harry started to think of ways in which to ask hermione out, but before
he could decide the best way, she soon joined them for breakfast.

�have you guys noticed ravenclaw and hufflepuff?� she asked as she sat down. �i
didn�t realize all the support we had.� both harry and ron looked around
the hall. both ravenclaw and hufflepuff had banners in the gryffindor colors. some
with saying like. �we�re with you all the way harry!� or �weasley is
our king today!� harry just stared in awe.

�wow!� was all ron could say as he turned back to face harry and hermione. �hey,
we should probably get going?� ron slowly stood and motioned for the rest
of the team to get up.

�i�ll walk you guys to the door,� smiled hermione. they all headed for the door
but harry grabbed hermione and pulled her into another hallway.

�i�ll be right there guys,� he said over his shoulder. he needed to make sure he
could talk with hermione after the game.

�harry you okay?� she asked as they stopped.

�yeah i�m fine i just � well i want to talk with you after the game,� he couldn�t
look her in the eye he was too nervous.

�sure, what�s up?� she smiled

�i � i wanna talk about that memory i saw this summer,� he uttered as he looked up
at her. hermione dropped her head.

�oh harry do we have to�� harry put his fingers under hermione�s chin to raise her
face to look at him.

�yes � yes we do because,� he was struggling to find the right words. �because if
a dementor attacked right now, that would be my happy memory, not my parents
or sirius, just you. �

�harry come on we�ve gotta go!� shouted dean from down the hall.

�just a minute!� he yelled back.

�go harry, we�ll talk after the game,� she slowly leaned up towards him and kissed
his cheek. �win won for me.� she smiled. harry was now charged with a
new energy he grabbed hermione and spun her around. after a couple of twirls he
put her down and start to half jog over to dean and seamus who were waiting
for him. before he turned the corner harry turned around and looked back at
hermione.

�i�ll catch the snitch in under five minutes!� he said with excited glee.

�just win!� hermione shouted back to him.

as harry got ready for the match all he could think of was hermione�s smile when
she agreed to talk with him. he also kept rubbing the spot on his cheek
where she had kissed him. we�re going to win this match even if i have to do it
all by myself, he thought. madam hooch stopped by their locker room to
inspect everyone�s gear and brooms.

�very well, five minutes to go,� she said as she left the room. the team looked
nervous as they sat and waited.

�i know some of you are nervous,� harry started. �i�m a little nervous myself, but
that�s okay because deep down i know we�re a better team. we have the
best chasers in school,� he motioned over to them. �our beaters can hit anything
that moves and our goalkeeper . . . well he�s our king isn�t he?� the
team laughed. �the one thing i want each of you to do is have fun above all else
just have fun.� as harry finished there was a knock on the door to indicate
the start of the game. the team made their way over to the entrance and in unison
mounted their brooms.

�and now here comes gryffindor,� said colin creevey, who replaced lee jordan as
the announcer. �gryffindor is lead by captain harry potter and co- captain
ron weasley.� colin continued to announce the players as the team flew around the
pitch. minutes later the game was underway. harry soared high above the
stadium to try and get a better view.

�look at how the gryffindor chasers handle the quaffle,� said colin. harry
continued to search the sky for any sign of the golden snitch.

�ginny weasley scores the first goal, gryffindor leads it ten to zero,� cheered
colin.

�potter!� yelled draco. harry turned to see draco tailing him. �don�t look at me,
just act like i�m egging you on,� draco instructed. harry turned around
but made sure he didn�t go to far so he could hear draco. �something bad is going
to happen. i don�t know what yet, but people were talking last night
about there being an attack. something to scare you, so that you knew the dark
lord can get to you even at hogwarts.�

�when are they planning to attack?� harry yelled with out making eye contact with
draco.

�i think some time during the match! i�ve told dumbledore and aurors are
surrounding the stadium, but i wanted to tell you so that we can find that snitch
and get everyone back in the castle,� shouted draco, just then harry saw a hint of
gold.

�i think i see it!� he shouted back.

�go i�ll trail you!� draco said as he began to follow harry in his pursuit of the
snitch.
�gryffindor scores again they lead it thirty to ten.� harry heard colin shout as
they began to dive towards the field. the snitch was darting between the
towers. harry and draco were weaving in and out trying to avoid hitting the
stands. the snitch then changed directions and was heading straight for one
of the slytherin goal posts.

�harry catch!� yelled ginny. just then harry saw the quaffle being thrown at him,
he caught it and realized two slytherin chasers were heading his way.
he barrel rolled to the left to avoid the first one then stopped and barrel rolled
into a dive to avoid the second. once he was clear of them both he threw
the quaffle into the same hoop the snitch was going through.

�harry potter has just given gryffindor a thirty point lead,� colin shouted.
cheers could be hear all around the stadium, but all harry could concentrate
on was the snitch, which had dived and was hovering mere inches above the ground.
harry followed as it now had switched directions again and was heading
towards the middle of the field. harry couldn�t get low enough to reach it so he
flipped himself upside down so he could be lower to the ground. he stretched
out as far as he could and started to feel the breeze of the flapping wings. he
pushed his broom harder and grasped the snitch just as he lost his grip
on his broom. he skidded on the ground for a moment and stopped in the dead middle
of the field, but now cheers or announcements came. the stadium had
become quite silent. harry stood up and looked around to see what had happened.
his eye rested on a group of death eaters flying above the slytherin goals.
a familiar laugh was echoing through out the pitch.

�very good baby potter,� snickered bellatrix lestrange. the only death eater that
wasn�t wearing a hood. �but can the brave harry potter save his fellow
classmate?� lestrange flew her broom closer to one of the hooded death eaters and
removed a hood off of someone.

�harry!� cried the voice of hermione.

�hermione!� harry gasped as he slowly walked towards them. �let her go!� he boomed
his voice full of rage and a hint of fear.

�or what you�ll stun us?� she laughed along with the rest of the death eaters. she
suddenly stopped and pointed her wand at something in the air. �call
off your guards dumbledore or the girl dies!� she hissed.

�back off tonks,� dumbledore�s voice resonated around the field. slowly several
aurors took they�re invisibility cloaks off. soon harry saw lupin, mad eye,
tonks, bill and charlie appeared in mid air.

�all of you land now!� instructed lestrange. they all landed near harry and put
their brooms on the ground. �good, now before we leave i�ll let the prisoner
say her last good byes.�

�no!� screamed harry.

�oh is potter going to miss his friend,� just as lestrange spoke, harry felt a
gust of wind pass over his head.

�you�re the one who�s going to be saying good bye, smelly belly,� echoed a voice.
even though harry was on the ground he could still see lestrange�s mannerisms
change.
�show yourself coward!� demanded lestrange. julia appeared ten feet away from
lestrange with her wand pointing right at her.

�the only coward here is you bellatrix!� julia said between gritted teeth.

�impossible! how did you survive?� a shocked lestrange asked.

�you�ll find i�m full of surprises, now hand the girl over to me!� demanded julia.

�you want her! go get her!� shouted lestrange. the death eater that was holding
hermione shot up towards the clouds. julia who was climbing higher and higher
followed him. harry could barely make them out when they finally stopped. hagrid,
dumbledore, mcgonagall and snape had joined the order members and harry
on the field.

�can you put a protection charm on her?� asked lupin.

�no they�ve put an anti-charm hex on her, we can�t do anything short of the
killing curse on her,� grumbled mad-eye. high above the field, julia was in
a staring match with the death eater.

�you can�t win, just give the girl over to me,� julia said in a much calmer voice.

�who says we can�t win,� said the death eater as he picked hermione up and dangled
her off his broom. hermione screamed.

�no!� cried julia. screams of people down on the ground could be heard as they saw
hermione being held off the broom. harry�s heart pounded hard in his
chest, he slowly began to straddle his broom but someone grabbed his shoulder.

�they�ve jinxed the brooms as well harry,� whispered lupin. harry was now filled
with terror as he watched helplessly.

�how did you survive? lord voldemort destroyed your home while you were still
inside. i was there!� asked the confused death eater.

�i�m just a clever one, ain�t i,� smiled julia. �now hand the girl over!�

�if you�re so clever lets see how you get out of this one. incarcerous!� shouted
the death eater. julia was completely caught off guard and found her self
tied up by ropes. she struggled for a bit then saw the death eaters smile as he
slowly loosened his grip on hermione.

�julia help!� screamed hermione, fear written on her face. julia was filled with
utter panic as she realized what the death eater was planning.

�she can�t help you now sweet heart, hope you have a nice fall,� and with that, he
dropped hermione. her body began to plummet towards the earth. julia
just looked at the death eater and smiled, and then she fell off her broom and
began falling after hermione. screams and shouts came from all around the
field as people began to point at the two body�s falling. but then harry noticed a
bird flying towards julia, it was rosie.

�rosie can you catch hermione?� thought julia.

�she�s moving to fast i can�t catch up!� said an anxious rosie.

�cut me lose i�ll get her,� screamed julia out loud, the bird did as instructed
and ripped the ropes off of julia. once free julia continued to freefall
but began to catch up to hermione. �hang on hermione!�

�help!� a blood-curtailing scream came from hermione.

�accio broom!� julia�s voice reverberated around the field and for a moment no one
could hear anything but her. the broom looked as if it was shot our of
a cannon and was heading towards it�s master. harry watched in horror as they were
getting closer and closer to the ground.

�can�t we do something!� he screamed.

�look!� shouted lupin. harry turned to see julia about to grab hermione.

�hermione grab my hand!� julia began to reach for hermione.

�i can�t,� she whaled.

�yes you can!� yelled julia who saw they were only seconds from hitting the
ground. �grab my hand!�

what harry watched next happened in a heartbeat. julia reached hermione and pulled
her into a hug. julia�s broom had caught up with its owner and julia
grabbed it and began to pull up. just as it looked like they were dead, the broom
pulled out of the dive but went straight into one of the goal posts.
hermione and julia hit the post with a sickening thud. their bodies went limp and
the sand around them began to seep with blood. harry couldn�t move for
a moment, they had survived the fall but they had gone into the goal posts with
such speed the impacted might have killed them. he unconsciously sprinted
towards them and fell down in the sand besides hermione.

�hermione wake up,� harry began to cry as he knelt down towards her. he stroked
the back of her head until he felt a warm liquid. he lifted his hand to
see it trenched in blood. �noooo!� he screamed. he felt himself being jerked away
from her body. �let me go!� he yelled.

�harry we got to get them to hogwarts!� a calm lupin said as he tried to restrain
harry.

�i need to be with them please!� harry cried as he tried to pull lose. ron came
over to help lupin contain harry. as harry continued to try and break free
he heard madam pomfrey talking with dumbledore.

�we need to move them quick, they�re breathing is shallow and they�re pulse is
dropping,� she said as she pointed her waned and bandaged their heads for
transport. she looked at dumbledore with a serious face. �they may not make it.�

chapter 16 : surviving the fall

chapter 16: surviving the fall

�they may not make it.�

�don�t say that!� harry gave an angry cry as he glared at dumbledore and madam
pomfrey. lupin, ron, bill and charlie were now restraining him.

�harry listen to me,� lupin had now moved to stand in front of him. �you have to
calm down. madam pomfrey is going to need all our help to get hermione
and julia through this,� he looked straight into harry�s eyes. harry�s body
relaxed but his eyes and face were still filled with anger, anxiety and above
all, fear.

hermione and julia�s bodies were transported back to hogwarts. harry along with
the order members followed them back. mcgonagall stayed behind to try and
help get the rest of the student body back into the castle. as the first group
walked back to the castle harry overheard mad eye talking with lupin.

�the damn bastards got away while we were watching them fall,� huffed mad eye.

�we�ll try and do a sweep of the forest in a couple of days,� whispered lupin.
harry pretended he didn�t hear them but made a mental note of it. he was
going to get back at those death eaters, one way or another. once they reached the
hospital wing madam pomfrey took charge.

�lay them over there albus. hagrid i need you to find these weeds in the forest,�
she was running around in a dizzy trying to prepare anything that might
help them. �professor snape, if you can i need several phoenix tears along with
these items,� she quickly scribbled down other ingredients. �charlie do
you still work with dragons?� he nodded his head. �i�m going to need some dragon�s
blood of a swedish short snout, but it must be a female.�

�right,� said charlie as he grabbed his things and left the room.

�albus, and remus go clean up and put those nurses robes on,� the two did as
instructed. �and have minerva join us when she can,� madam pomfrey then looked
at harry.

�what can i do?� his voice shaking.

�pray,� she said in a serious tone.

the next few hours were the longest of harry�s life. they had successfully stopped
the bleeding, but both women had lost a significant amount of blood and
it was even more imperative that charlie get the dragon�s blood. dumbledore
created a 3-d model of the event so they could watch the impact to see exactly
what happened. all the adults along with harry watched as hermione�s and julia�s
bodies collided with steel in slow motion.

�right there,� said snape. �back it up a moment. look,� he pointed to julia who
was pulling on the broom. �now slow it down some more and watch julia,�
he instructed. the broom pulled out of the dive and began to skid along the
ground. �julia sees that their going to hit the goal and knows she can�t avoid
it, watch what she does with her right arm,� as the group watched they could see
julia�s arm wrap around hermione�s head and body, bracing the young girl
for the impact.

�let�s check her arm,� madam pomfrey walked away from the model and went behind
barriers that separated the rest of the hospital wing from hermione and
julia. when she returned her face said it all. �her whole arm is crushed,� she
said with a heavy sigh. �i don�t know if we should just re-grow them or
try and fix the bones.�

�i�ve got those weeds yer were looking fer,� voiced hagrid as he barged into the
hospital wing.

�wonderful hagrid, professor snape, please take the wormwood and mix it with
fawkes tears, then take the ginger root and prepare it to be mixed with the
dragon�s blood when it arrives,� asked madam pomfrey.

�right away,� snape took the items from hagrid and left the room.

�remus can you prepare some daisy root, i�ll need it to mix with the bone re-
grow,� instructed madam pomfrey who was becoming visibly tired along with the
rest of the group.

�poppy,� the sound of mcgonagall�s voice came from behind the barriers. �it�s time
to change their dressing.�

�i�ll do it, take a moment to rest. you�ll need your strength once the dragon�s
blood has arrived,� said a very calm dumbledore.

�sir, may i see them,� asked harry who had not said a word since he talked with
madam pomfrey.

�all right but only for a moment,� said dumbledore with a sad smile. the two
walked around the barriers and saw mcgonagall preparing new bandages.

hermione looked deathly pale, her lips had a slight blue tint to them and her once
brilliant hair was now tucked away behind the bandages. julia looked
even worse, her arm was so discolored one couldn�t tell if it was real or not, and
the bandage around her head showed a hint of blood. julia had taken
the hit to the top of her head while the back of hermione�s head took the impact.
harry began to feel overwhelmed. he had lost so much in his life and
he couldn�t bare any more. he loved hermione beyond words. she was such a part of
him that if he were to lose her, half of him would die as well. then
there was julia, a friend that harry had become very close to in these months. she
was protecting him in more ways then one and even though he didn�t know
why, he felt a strong connection to her.
harry slowly made his way in between the two beds. he looked at the sleeping form
of the two women. he bent down slowly and kissed hermione on the forehead
and then did the same to julia. a hand softly touched his shoulder. harry knew he
needed to leave. once he was clear of the barriers he saw lupin preparing
the daisy root and madam pomfrey preparing another round of potions to administer.
his eyes then rested on hagrid who looked as lost as harry felt. harry
slowly walked over to him.

�how yer holdin� up harry?� asked hagrid. harry�s eyes were brimming with tears he
felt so overwhelmed with ten different emotions that he didn�t know how
to answer. but just then he began to feel light headed and before he knew it
hagrid was holding him up and all the adults were surrounding him.

�i�m all right, just a bit light headed,� he said embarrassed that he felt weak.

�hagrid, remus why don�t you take harry down to the kitchen and have several
plates made up for us,� said dumbledore as he took the bowl of daisy roots
from lupin.

�but sir, i don�t want to leave,� pleaded harry.

�my dear boy all we can do is wait for now, if anything happens while your gone
i�ll send someone for you,� he said. harry gave in and reluctantly went
with hagrid and lupin. the group slowly made their way down to the kitchen.

�they�ll be okay harry,� said lupin who nudged hagrid at the same time.
�uh yeah, that hermione she�s a strong one,� his laugh fell flat.

�so is julia,� said lupin with a hint of pride. they walked past the great hall
and the hallway harry had dragged hermione into earlier that day.

�i was going to ask hermione out,� harry blurted. he didn�t know why but he
thought that maybe if he talked with someone besides dumbledore about how strongly
he felt towards her that they would understand his need to be near her.

�yer love her don�t ya?� asked hagrid, who seemed to smile at the thought of the
two young ones together.

�i do,� said harry quietly.

�just like his father, falling for the brightest and prettiest, in my humble
opinion, witch in the school,� laughed lupin as he slapped harry on the back.
�don�t worry harry, if she loves you the way i think she does, she�s fighting with
every breath to come back to you.� the trio continued into the kitchen
where they were greeted by dobby.

�oh harry potter sir, i heard what happen to miss hermione, is there anything that
dobby can do?� the house elf was truly concerned for his friend.

�actually there is, would you mind rounding up a few platters of sandwiches and
stuff for us? we�ve been in the hospital wing all afternoon and haven�t
eaten since this morning,� asked harry.

�certainly, just give dobby a moment,� the house elf said as he ran into the back
of the kitchen. after a few moments dobby, followed by winky, had many
platters of food and jugs of pumpkin juice on the top level of a cart, on the
bottom were plates, cups and silverware for them. �once you�re back in the
hospital just clap twice and this cart will appear. when you�re done clap twice
again and winky will come and clean up everything,� smiled dobby.

�thank you dobby,� said harry as he gave a halfhearted smile.

�anything for the great harry potter,� he waved goodbye as the trio left the
kitchen. once they were back in the hospital harry clapped twice and the cart
appeared. he began to set the platters on a table so they could all grab
something. the room had become even quieter then before. madam pomfrey had
administered
all the potions she could and was now waiting on the dragon�s blood.

�professor,� said harry ever so quietly.

�yes harry,� whispered dumbledore.

�what�s so important about the dragon�s blood?� he asked.

�well, they�ve lost so much blood that their heart can�t produce enough on it�s
own to catch up, so the dragon�s blood with the ginger root will help stimulate
the blood to reproduce its self,� dumbledore trailed off.

�what is it sir?� asked harry noticing the worry in his voice.

�this potion is only used in extreme cases like this because of its possible side
effect . . . the dark sleep,� dumbledore frowned.
�what�s that?� harry asked.

�hermione and julia might not wake up,� injected lupin. harry was about to ask
another question when the hospital doors flew open and charlie ran in.

�i�ve got it!� he panted.

�come with me charlie i�ll need some help mixing the potion,� said snape who was
the first to react.

�severus,� called madam pomfrey from behind the barrier. she appeared just a
moment later. �hurry, we�re starting to lose them.� snape gave an understanding
nod and left the room with charlie. within the hour they returned with the potion
ready to be administered. madam pomfrey moved the barrier so everyone
could see the two patients. harry slowly made is way over to them and slowly put
his hand on hermione�s, but he quickly brought it back as if he had burnt
himself.

�she�s icy cold,� he looked up at the adults, concern on his face.

�we must move quickly,� said madam pomfrey as she moved past harry and slowly
poured the potion into hermione�s mouth then did the same to julia.

�come on harry, we need to let�em work,� said hagrid as he put his arm around
harry. �here why don�t yer go into the bathroom over there and wash up, i�ll
have dobby bring down some clothes fer ya.� harry didn�t realize but he still was
in his quidditch gear. to tired to argue, harry slowly walked over to
the hospital bathroom and took a long shower. sure enough when he was done, his
quidditch gear was gone and new clothes were sitting on a chair for him.
he walked out to find the barriers had been moved and now split the hospital into
two halves. the adults were all sitting on the beds across from hermione
and julia talking in hushed voices.

�we�ll do shifts throughout the night,� whispered dumbledore. �poppy you should
get some sleep, the rest of the school will need you tomorrow.� she was
about to protest when dumbledore put his hands up. �if anything does happen
whoever is on shift will get you. now i��

�i�ll stand watch tonight,� said harry daring anyone to say otherwise. they all
stared at him for a moment.

�i�ll keep harry company until the morning,� smiled lupin softly.

�it�s settled then, i�ll check in through out the night to see if you need
anything,� he motioned for everyone else to leave this side of the hospital.

�harry, talk to them both it will help keep them from slipping into the dark
sleep,� yawned madam pomfrey.

�if you need anything, just clap twice and a house elf will appear, several are on
standby for tonight in case you need anything,� said mcgonagall.

�i�ve mixed several potions in case they wake up, give them the blue one for pain
and the green one for swelling, but only if they wake up,� snape snapped
but then softened his expression. �i�ll have tomorrow�s class transcribed and sent
up here for you to look at,� as he finished he whipped around and headed
for the door.
�if yer feel like getting� outta the castle for a bit, come visit me �round lunch
time,� grinned hargrid. harry tried to smile back but he couldn�t, he
just slowly nodded his head and went over and sat between hermione and julia. the
adults gave lupin some last minute instructions before they all left,
but harry paid no attention. he continued to watch hermione�s sleeping form, his
mind replaying the events over and over. harry went over everything he
could have done until one option came to mind he hadn�t thought of. why hadn�t he
transformed into a phoenix? he could have held hermione and julia and
they both would be awake and talking to him. lupin, who had been watching harry
closely, cleared his throat.

�harry this wasn�t your fault. you know that right?� lupin had taken a seat on the
bed next to julia.

�yeah i know,� said harry in a non-convincing way.

�harry,� lupin said in a more serious tone. �this was not your fault.�

�how can you say that?! of course it�s my fault, because she was my friend they
went after her! because i go to school here they�ll go after more students.
it�s all because of me!� he shouted. �i should have saved them, if i had
transfigured into a phoenix i could have held them both.�

�harry!� lupin raised his voice. �there was no way for you to catch them. rosie
was already in the air and she couldn�t catch up to hermione because she
was falling to fast. you cannot blame yourself. hermione chose to be your friend
and she chose to stand by you through everything you�ve gone through.
julia is an auror and knows the consequences that entails.� lupin stopped and
collected himself. �i feel like i�m talking to james all over again.� he
said as he rubbed his forehead. harry had a confused look on his face.

�when you�re mother told james about the possibility that they might die in order
to save you, james started to blame himself for putting lily�s life in
danger. what he didn�t realize at the time was they couldn�t avoid it. they were
meant to be together and they were meant to have you. those things are
out of people�s control, he finally understood this and enjoyed the little time he
had left with her,� lupin began to look sad. �they were so happy, even
though they knew they were going to die.� harry looked over at hermione.

�i was going to ask hermione out today, i�ve been waiting to ask her for so long
but now i�m scared of what might happen if voldemort discovers i�m with
her�?

�then you will face voldemort together,� said lupin. he slowly got up and went
over to a jar of tongue depressors. he grabbed several and came back to harry.
�here break this one in half,� he handed over one of the thin sticks. harry took
it and broke it in half. �now try and break these two together,� lupin
asked while handing over two of the depressors. again harry broke them in half but
it took much more effort. �good, break these four,� lupin handed him
the group of four. harry tried several times but could not break the group. lupin
then grabbed the four from harry. �this is you,� he put one of them on
the foot of julia�s bed. �this is love of family,� he put the second one next to
the first one. �this is love of a friend,� again continuing the line.
�and this . . . the most important of all is the undying love of another,� he put
the last one down. �by themselves they can break,� lupin scooped them
all up. �but together�?
�together their unbreakable,� harry finished the sentence. �i think i understand
what you�re getting at,� he smiled.

�good, so then what are you going to do when hermione wakes up?� asked lupin.

�ask her out, just like i intended to do,� harry yawned.

�here harry why don�t you lie down and take a nap. i�ll take the first watch,�
said lupin who was still standing at the foot of julia�s bed. harry thought
for a moment and then decided that sleep might be a good idea. he slowly got out
of the chair and tucked himself into the bed next to julia. before to
long harry had fallen into a restless sleep.

�i swear we�re all sick, there was something with that breakfast i tell ya,� harry
awoke the next morning to the sound of ron and several other people in
the hospital wing.

�yeah i think my spleen might be cracked,� said dean thomas.

�mr. thomas do you know where your spleen is?� asked an exasperated madam pomfrey.
harry slowly rose from the bed and rubbed his eyes, when he opened them
again he saw hermione and julia still lying perfectly still but something was
different. he reached for his glasses on the nightstand next to him. he put
them on and saw that color had returned to both hermione and julia�s face. harry
breathed a sigh of relief, then notice dumbledore walking over to him
from the window.

�they will both live,� he smiled. �but we don�t know when they will wake up.�

�they didn�t�?

�no not entirely, they will wake up . . . it�s just a matter of when.�

�i swear i�m gonna pass out,� harry heard ron say from the other side of the
barrier.

�go share the good news,� whispered dumbledore. harry smiled at the old wizard and
then turned around and headed for the cloth barrier, he slowly stepped
threw it and before he put his foot down he was being called from every angles.
several da members were there.

�harry! are they all right?� yelled ron.

�is it true charlie went and got dragon�s blood,� shouted ginny.

�do they still have all their fingers and toes?� asked luna. this question caused
everyone to stop and look at luna.

�yes, they�re going to be okay, and they do still have all their fingers and
toes,� the group giggled.

�well you know i feel better,� smiled ron.

�yeah i think my spleen healed itself,� said dean.

�my head doesn�t hurt so much,� said ginny as the group slowly made their way out
of the hospital. they grabbed harry and took him into the hallway.
�so what have you got planned mate?� asked ron

�got what planned, what are you talking about?� asked a very confused harry. the
group continued to walk slowly away from the hospital.

�to get back at those death eaters,� said an eager ginny.

�oh,� said harry. �i hadn�t thought about that.�

�well we can�t just go charging into the forest,� said seamus.

�no that wouldn�t be good,� said neville. just then harry ran into something, he
looked down to see dobby picking himself up off the floor.

�dobby i�m so sorry i didn�t see you,� said harry as he offered his hand to help
dobby up.

�oh no mr. harry potter, it was dobby�s fault,� dobby started to clean up the
sandwiches that had fallen on the ground when harry noticed his reflection
in the silver sterling platter. he bent down and slowly picked it up.

�maybe we don�t have to go charging into the forest . . . but we�ll make them
think we are.�

chapter 17 : revenge of the da

chapter 17: revenge of the da �what are you talking about? how can we make it look
like we�re there when we�re really not?� asked a confused ron.�smoke
and mirrors,� said luna. she grabbed the platter from harry and held it against
the wall so that ron could see himself in the platter.�yeah so,� he still
wasn�t getting they�re point.�dobby can you get another one of those platters,�
asked harry. dobby snapped his fingers and another platter appeared, he
handed it to harry who gave it to ginny to hold.�now ginny stand over there and
tilt the platter so it�s angled at me and the other platter,� instructed
harry. �now ron, move over a bit.� ron moved over and after a moment saw harry in
the reflection.�but you�re over . . . oh i get it, use the platters to
reflect our images somewhere else,� it finally dawned on ron.�well not necessarily
the platters, mirrors would be better,� harry then looked at dobby.
�dobby we�re going to need your help,�an hour later harry was walking up to the
defense classroom to find rosie. they were going to need someone to lure
the death eaters into their trap and harry knew rosie would be perfect. he slowly
entered the classroom and to his surprise it was full, is was a group
of first years practicing disarming their opponent. he soon saw rosie fly over
their heads. she must be teaching the class, he thought. as he started to
walk in the group of students started to head back to their desks and pick up
their belongings. they all stared up at him as they left the room. the last
group left and he could hear them in the hallway.�that was harry potter!� one
young first year squealed to another. harry smiled to himself he some times
forgot about how much of a celebrity he was.�oh harry! are they okay!� rosie flew
over to him and landed on a desk.�yes, it looks like they�ll pull through,
we just don�t know when they�ll wake up,� harry said out loud.�i�m sorry i
couldn�t catch up to hermione, i tried but she was falling so fast,� said a
very upset rosie.�you cut julia free, and she was able to get hermione, you can�t
blame yourself . . . just like i can�t blame myself.� he trailed off.
the bird eyed harry for a moment.�i imagine you didn�t come to discuss them,
what�s on you mind?� she asked.�well, i need your help, but you have to promise
not to tell anyone.�it was close to dinnertime and harry was sitting in the
hospital wing swaying back and forth on a rocking chair that dumbledore had
brought up. ron was sitting on the bed next to julia reading the latest quidditch
monthly out loud. harry was sitting between the two beds watching the
women sleep as he listened to ron. hermione and julia had improved since he saw
them earlier in the morning. julia�s arm was mending nicely and they both
had full color returned to their cheeks, it was now up to them on when they would
wake up. harry and ron had been talking to them through out the day,
letting them know everyone missed them and wanted them back. harry was just
starting to nod off to sleep when he heard someone come through the barrier.�hey
harry, hey ron,� said luna softly.�hey luna,� ron said behind the magazine.�hi
luna how are you doing.� but harry could tell that she was not doing well.�i
umm � i wanted to come and apologize to hermione,� she said. ron slowly put the
magazine down.�luna what are you talking about,� asked harry who stopped
rocking in the chair.�it�s my fault the death eaters got her. you see we were in
the last group to leave the castle and she forgot her scarf. she insisted
on getting it, said it brought you luck every time she wore it during a game. i
told her i�d wait for her but she wanted me to go on head an get seats,�
luna was starting to cry. �if i had stayed behind we might have been able to fight
them off.� harry was about to get up and give luna a hug but to his
surprise ron had put his arm around her.�luna you can�t blame yourself, no one
could have prevented this,� said ron in a caring way.�i�m sure hermione
will be glad that no one else was hurt, and i have a feeling she doesn�t blame you
at all,� harry tried to sound as positive as possible. luna took out
a handkerchief and tried her eyes.�thank you both for being so nice, i hadn�t told
anybody yet and i was afraid people would be mad,� she said with the
cloth in front of her nose.�don�t be silly, besides what you should be thinking
about is getting those death eaters back,� ron nudged her shoulder trying
to get her mind off the subject. she laughed a little bit.�well i better be off,
i�ll see you guys after dinner,� she smiled back. they both said their
goodbyes and when harry was sure she had left he gave ron a look.�what? i can�t be
nice?� he said giving harry a mocked hurt face.�it�s not that, you�re
just normally not nice to luna,� laughed harry. ron then became serious.�oh well,
i figure so many people are trying to blame themselves about this that
someone should tell them it�s not their fault,� said ron. �i mean hermione has
always helped anyone in need and the one time she needs our help we fail
her and the person who does help pays the price,� ron glanced at julia. �but what
could we have done,� ron looked like he was trying to convince himself
more then anyone else.�i know what you mean,� said harry as he slowly returned
back to rocking the chair. ron went back on the bed and grabbed the magazine
and started reading again. the two friends sat in silence for the next hour or so,
each going over what they could have done to help their sleeping friend.
it wasn�t until they were walking along the corridors heading to the room of
requirement, that they spoke again.�who are you going to take to the yule
ball?� asked harry.�oh i dunno, i might just go by myself,� ron seemed like he
didn�t want to talk about it.�why not take luna,� smiled harry.�i knew you
were gonna say that, and if hermione was awake she�d say it too,� ron felt guilty
about mentioning his hurt friend in such away.�you�re right, she would,�
beamed harry, he had a sense of pride that he was so in tune with her way of
thinking. the duo found the wall where the room would be and started walking
back and for thinking of what they needed. a moment later the door appeared and
they walked into the comfortable room it had been when harry held the meeting.
the only difference was that two fairly large mirrors stood back to back in the
middle of the room. both harry and ron stared to walk around them. harry
stood looking at one while ron had walked over to the other. after a moment harry
began to see ron appear in his mirror and vice versa.�harry do you see
me?� asked an astonish ron�yeah, do you see me?� he asked.�oh yeah,� gasped
ron.�hello harry potter,� squeaked dobby from the door. both ron and harry
jumped at his voice. �dobby didn�t mean to scare you.��it�s okay dobby, tell us
what you did to these mirrors,� said harry who was still gazing at ron�s
picture in the mirror.�it�s a simple spell sir, these mirrors will receive images
and sounds from each other,� explained dobby. harry had a hunting thought.
it was the same as the mirror sirius had given to him. he quickly brushed the
thought out of his head as people started to file into the room.�so what�s
the plan?� asked dean thomas as he took a seat next to ginny, who seemed to ignore
him.�first rosie goes and distracts a guard on patrol and leads them
into our little trap,� ron said with excitement.�then two of you will be watching
the mirror that will be in front of the death eater, one person will
be with me and the others will get ready to strike them from behind,� harry
explained. �who is strong at charms, most importantly the locomotor or wingardium
leviosa charm?� luna slowly raised her hand. �good we need one more,� but no one
raised they�re hand. harry then looked over at ron, �what about you, you
did the charm on the troll.��that was first year mate, i don�t think i�ve done it
since,� said ron.�why don�t you work with luna all day tomorrow before
we go, i�m sure you can have it down in no time,� smirked harry. ron quickly gave
harry a dirty look before answering.�luna is that okay with you,� asked
ron between gritted teeth.�that would be lovely,� smiled luna with her eyes as
wide as a bug.�perfect, now ginny you�ll be with me and the other mirror,
neville, dean and seamus you three will slowly creep up behind the death eater
while i distract them. when i give the word we�ll all shout the incarcerous
spell. the same spell the death eaters use on julia, once i tell them my little
message rosie will pick the death eater up and drop them back at voldemort�s
camp,� harry finished.�when do you go?� asked neville.�tomorrow after dinner. i�ll
have dinner up in the hospital wing once you guys are done come up and
act like you�re checking in on hermione and julia. we�ll make a quiet exit and
follow rosie to the clearing she found today,� said harry.�what about the
mirrors?� asked dean. harry took one look at them and saw how heavy they were. he
took out his wand and pointed at one.�reducio,� the mirror became small
enough to fit in some one�s pocket. he handed the first mirror to luna then shrunk
the second one and put it in his own pocket. �okay let�s get going,
make sure tomorrow you wear your cloaks, it�s going to be a cold night.� the group
left in pairs so they wouldn�t raise suspicion, as harry and ron were
about to leave the squeaky voice of dobby startled them yet again.�good luck harry
potter, be careful,� said the nervous house elf.�don�t worry dobby,
we will,� smiled harry. if all went to plan he would be able to send a message to
voldemort letting him know he wasn�t afraid.harry spent the night in
the hospital wing again, he sat in the bed opposite hermione and julia watching as
madam pomfrey made them more comfortable for the night. if he ever had
doubts about their plan all he had to do was look at them and he�d begin to fill
with rage. madam pomfrey left to go get some supplies. harry decided to
go talk to the patients. he sat down on the side of hermione�s bed and took her
hand in his.�i�ll get them back hermione,� he whispered to the sleeping
beauty in front of him. harry slowly leaned forward and kissed her lips softly,
hoping that maybe she�d wake up. he opened his eyes to see that she hadn�t,
pain began to fill harry�s chest. all he wanted was to talk to her hold her in his
arms and tell her how much he loved her. but fate had decided to make
him wait even longer. harry let out a heavy sigh�come back to me,� he said as he
kissed her on the forehead. he made his way back over to his bed and got
settled in, he was going to need his strength for tomorrow.the next day moved
slowly for harry, he had chosen to not go to class one more day just incase
hermione or julia would wake up. he read them the quibbler that luna had got for
him and the daily prophet. through out the day several members of the
group came up and quietly confirmed things with harry. dinner finally arrived from
winky, and twenty minutes later ron showed up to get harry.�they�re
waiting outside for us,� he whispered into harry�s ear. harry glanced over at
julia and hermione then looked at ron.�let�s go,� he said in a menacing tone.
harry was going to make sure this death eater understood that no one could mess
with him and get away with it. ron and harry made they�re way to the back
door where the rest of the group was waiting. ginny handed harry his order robe,
once it was on harry put his hood on and indicated to the rest of the
group to do that same. both he and ron were wearing their order robes while
everyone else was wearing the black hogwarts robe with the gryffindor symbol
on the breast. they all quickly walked to the edge of the forest making sure to
stay away for hagrid�s hut. once harry felt they were far enough away from
the edge of the forest he instructed everyone to light their wands. a small fog
was hovering above the ground and the creaking of the trees and faint howls
of animals could be heard in the distance. all of a sudden there was a loud
snap.�sorry,� whispered neville.�watch where you step, we must be getting close,�
said harry, who then looked to the sky. �rosie,� hissed harry. �where are
you?��over here,� said the bird as she flew over the group. they followed her
for several minutes until they came to a small clearing. �this is it.��okay she
said this is it. luna, ron set up the mirror right here, on the edge of
the moonlight. so the death eater can just make out what it is and you guys can be
in the shadows or behind that tree,� harry pointed to a massive tree
they had just walked by. it was hidden in shadows just before the clearing.�okay,�
luna put the mirror on the ground. �engorgio.� the mirror returned to
its normal size. �ron hold the mirror while i get behind the tree and put the
spell on it. then once it�s off the ground come join me.��neville, dean,
seamus see those tree�s over there,� harry pointed in the opposite direction of
luna and ron. �spread out over there, as the death eater walks closer to
the mirror inch your selves closer to these trees here just on the edge of the
clearing.��harry where do you want your mirror,� asked ginny who had taken
it from harry and enlarged it.�lets have it over here on the side, that way i can
watch as the death eater enters the clearing,� said harry as he looked
around to make sure everyone else was ready.�locomotor,� whispered ginny. the
mirror hovered above the ground and she started to direct it over to the
side of the clearing.�ron you guys ready?� harry asked.�all set,� ron shouted from
behind the tree.�neville?��ready?��smeaus, dean?��yeah, all set!��okay
rosie, go get�em,� harry said as he walked into the shadows. he stood right in
front of the mirror and adjusted his hood so that you could barley see his
face. �rosie how�s it going,� he thought.�i just spotted one on patrol,� she said.
harry then concentrated on neville, dean and seamus.�guys can you hear
me,� he said in his head.�wow harry is that you,� thought dean.�yeah, rosie has
found a guy make sure you�re well hidden when he walks by you,� he
explained.�okay,�
said neville.�he�s chasing me!� rosie burst into their conversation. �get ready!�
harry started to feel a little nervous. he could hear the death eater
approach.�get back here with my hat!� he yelled. rosie dropped the hat ten feet
away from mirror, and then took off towards the sky.�damn bird,� huffed
the death eater. the tall death eater picked up his hat and dusted it off. �i must
be close to hogwarts,� he said as he adjusted his hat.�scared of hogwarts?�
said harry into the mirror, his heart was pounding in his chest and he tried to
stair right at the death eater he could just barley see in his mirror.�who�s
that?! show yourself!� shouted the death eaters as he pulled his wand out. he
slowly scanned the area, his eyes rested on the mirror. �who do we have here,
did a student get lost?� joked the death eater.�no,� said harry, his blood still
pumping hard, but he soon thought about hermione and julia and his nerves
started to settle. �i was actually looking for you.��oh you were looking for me.
and who might you be?� giggled the outspoken death eater. harry slowly
stepped forward but didn�t remove his hood.�i�m the one person your master fears,�
harry�s confidence starting to strengthen.�oh are you,� laughed the
death eater.�guys get ready,� thought harry. �when i say now hit him with the
spell then once he�s tied up hit him with the silencing charm,� said harry.�the
dark lord fears no one,� smirked the death eater as he quickly pointed his wand at
the mirror. a purple spell hit the mirror and fizzled out. �what the-��now!�
shouted harry out loud.�incarcerous!� came shouts from all round the death eaters.
harry who peeked out from behind his tree, saw the death eater bond
and on the ground.�silencio!� shouted luna and ron as they crept closer to the
death eater who was now squirming on the ground. harry slowly made his way
over to the man. he bent down over him and slowly removed his hood so the death
eater could see his face, recognition written in his eyes.�good, now that
you know who i am,� said harry in a nasty tone. he grabbed the loud mouth death
eater by the collar. �you�re gonna send a message back to your master for
me. tell him this . . . i can get to him just as easily as he can get to me!�
harry then pushed the man back down on ground, and walked away from him.�also,�
he turned to face him one more time. �tell bellatrix that she failed her master
yet again, julia and the girl survived the fall. turn him over,� barked
harry. neville and dean turned the death eater over. �okay rosie,� thought harry.
�take him back and if you can wait and see what voldemort�s reaction
is.��are you kidding me i wouldn�t miss his reaction for the world,� said rosie as
she picked up the man and began to fly away.�come on we should get going,�
said ron. they shrank the mirrors and head back to hogwarts. they all snuck up to
gryffindor tower with out being seen, harry and ron invited everyone
to their common room to wait for rosie.�the look on their faces when they saw it
was you harry was priceless,� laughed dean.�yeah mate, they looked almost
as shocked as draco did last year when you socket him in the stomach,� giggled
ron.�you all did really well, thank you for sticking with me,� smiled harry
as he heard a pecking on his window. he walked into his room and opened the window
to let rosie in. she flew right into the living room and landed on one
of the chairs.�so what happened,� asked harry as he followed rosie into the common
room.�you got them mad alright. bellatrix was cursing up and down and
was about to jump on the broom and come get you, but you-know-who cursed her for
not getting rid of julia or hermione. he then told everyone to calm down
and to not act on they�re own. they�ll wait till we come back after winter break
to do anything,� said rosie. everyone seemed to cheer and give high fives.
harry felt a sense of accomplishment as he watched the others celebrate. now all
he could do was wait and hope that his loved one would come back to him.

chapter 18 : one is the loneliest number

chapter 18: one is the loneliest number �what do you mean you�re not taking
anyone?� questioned ron as he finished off a sandwich.�if i can�t go with hermione
then i�ll just go by myself,� said harry plainly.�you could get any girl in the
school harry,� piped up ginny.�guys i�ve told you already, it�s either
hermione or no one,� he said as he finished eating his food. �alright i�m heading
to the hospital wing. i�ll see you later.� harry left the hall and headed
up to the hospital wing, a routine harry had gotten use to in these last weeks
before the winter break. he�d get up before breakfast, spend a half hour
or so with hermione and julia then go to class, eat lunch quickly then visit them
again and spend the majority of nights with them. dumbledore had spread
the word to all of the students in the army that they weren�t going to start
training until they got back. harry figured the teachers had enough to worry
about trying to cover for julia�s classes and patrolling the castle grounds. he
entered the hospital wing to find draco malfoy and dumbledore standing
at the foot of hermione�s bed. harry quickly made his was over to them, thinking
something might be wrong.�professor is something the matter,� his voice
showing signs of panic.�not at all harry, i was just talking to mr. malfoy about
how we can try and prevent something like this from happening again,�
said the very composed headmaster. �now if you�ll excuse me i must talk with madam
pomfrey.� dumbledore walked to the opposite end of the hospital, leaving
malfoy and harry by themselves.�i�m sorry i didn�t warn you sooner,� said draco as
he continued to look at hermione.�it�s okay, we�re just lucky julia
was able to save her,� harry half smiled as he looked at julia. the bandages had
come off of both julia and hermione and they were now wearing regular
clothes. harry and draco stood in an awkward silence for a moment.�when did you
know you liked hermione?� draco asked quietly. for a moment harry didn�t
know how to answer. he was lucky enough to be shown just how much hermione cared
for him. but then he also started to notice things about her. little things
that just made her seem perfect.�it was the night you told me about you guys
spying for us,� he whispered.�what made you think that you might like her?�
draco was being completely sincere.�well, i started to look at her in a different
light,� harry felt very strange talking to draco about this. �i found
myself wanting to spend more time with her. i was counting down the minutes to the
next time i�d see her. but most of all when she gave me a hug i never
wanted to let her go.� harry started to feel himself getting upset that he had not
been able to give her a hug in weeks.�draco, it�s time for you to leave
before the other students get out of lunch,� came the voice of dumbledore. draco
didn�t say a word as he left the hospital wing, but harry had a feeling
he was talking about ginny. dumbledore was about to leave when harry remembered a
conversation he had with hermione before the attack.�professor.� he said
timidly.�yes harry,� he slowly turned and walked over to the young man.�before
hermione was attacked, i had a conversation with her and it sounded like
she was hiding something. she mentioned coming to grimmauld place for winter break
and when i said that her parents might miss her, she told me you had
spoken to them over the summer,� harry couldn�t look the old wizard in the eye, he
felt bad for asking the question.�do you really want to know harry?�
asked dumbledore. harry slowly moved his head up and down. �well we had a feeling
that hermione and ron might be targeted for attacks once voldemort couldn�t
get to you. so in order to keep her family safe hermione stayed at grimmauld place
for the summer.��so not only did the weasley�s have to go into hiding
cause of me, but hermione did to?� harry felt terrible, they�re lives were in
danger all because of him.�don�t forget what lupin said harry,� said dumbledore
as be put a hand on harry�s shoulder. �they have chosen to stick by you until the
very end, they all know the risk and are willing to take it . . . now
i do believe you have a couple more classes before the yule ball tonight,� he
smiled.�yes sir,� harry gathered his things and headed for the door. he sat
through the next class thinking about the tremendous sacrifices his friends were
making for him. the fire that was lit within him during the reading of
sirius�s will began to burn again, he was more determined then ever to end the
fear and stop voledmort once and for all, if not for his sake then for his
friends.as the rest of the afternoon rolled by ron continued to try and push harry
to find a last minute date, while ginny continued to keep dean thomas
at arms length. everyone was excited about the dance and winter break. several of
fred and george�s joke shop products were released in the hallway in
celebration. every time harry left a class some new prank had been pulled and
filch would be running one way or another trying to catch who did it. before
to long harry was up in his room getting ready for the dance. he put his dark navy
blue pinstriped pants on then the non-pinstriped but matching color
button up shirt. he had finished tying his new black dress shoes when he heard a
knock on the door.�come in,� he said as he went to put his belt on.�harry
potter sir, dobby has your robe all cleaned and ready for you,� squeaked the house
elf.�thanks a lot dobby,� harry finished putting the belt on then grabbed
his dark navy pinstriped jacket and put it on. �what do you think,� harry did a
little twirl for dobby.�dobby thinks the young ladies of the school will
be very pleased,� said the house elf with a smile. harry laughed then looked in
his mirror, he left his collar unbuttoned which gave him the �not trying
too hard� look.�unfortunately there is only one lady i�m trying to impress dobby,�
harry�s mood changed for a moment as he realized hermione would not
be able to see how good he looked.�would harry potter be needing anything else?�
asked dobby, who snapped harry out of his sad thought.�oh no, thanks again
for cleaning the robe,� smiled harry.�anything for the great harry potter, have a
merry christmas sir,� said the elf as he began to leave. harry started
to put his order robe on when he got an idea.�hey! dobby!� he shouted hoping the
house elf didn�t get to far. he heard the little pidder padder of his
small feet coming back to his room.�is there something wrong sir,� dobby looked as
if he was preparing to be hit.�oh no, i was just wondering what the
house elves do while the kids are away�we just take care of the castle and any
students or professors who stay,� said dobby. harry continued to think for
another moment.�dobby how would you and winky like to spend christmas at my house,
of course i�d pay you to work for me, i know mrs. weasley would love
the help and it gets you out of the castle for a while,� asked harry. dobby began
to cry.�harry potter wants dobby to join him for christmas,� the elf
threw himself onto harry�s feet. �you truly are a great wizard,� he cried.�umm
dobby,� harry slowly pulled his foot lose.�sorry sir dobby has never been
invited to anyone�s house before,� smiled the elf.�it�s okay dobby,� laughed
harry. �just make sure you tell dumbledore so you guys can be at grimmauld
place tomorrow.��dobby will go to the headmaster right away,� the house elf was
out the door before harry could utter another word. harry adjusted his
robe then ruffled his hair with his hand, just like his father did. he made his
way out into the common room and sat down on the couch to wait for ron.�ron
let�s go!� shouted harry.�hang on, hang on,� ron said as he opened the door. he
had his dark emerald pants, jacket and robe on with a white button up shirt
underneath. he too had chosen not to wear a tie and leave his collar open also.
both harry and ron�s robes had silver highlights to them, when light reflected
off of them in certain angles the dark blue and green were accented by this silver
halo.�you look good,� said harry as he stood up from the couch.�you
don�t look that bad yourself,� joked ron. the two friends made their way out of
their common room and stepped into the gryffindor common room where several
first year girls swooned at the sight of the upper classmen dressed up. harry and
ron just laughed as they made they�re way down to the front of the hall.
it was mostly guys waiting for their dates to arrive. dean, seamus and neville
were all huddled together and waved harry and ron over to them.�gentlemen
i must say that gryffindor�s know how to look good,� boosted seamus. it was true,
that at least the sixth year gryffindor�s all dressed to the nines. seamus
was wearing black pants with a green button up shirt and matching green robe, no
jacket. dean wore a deep purple robe with a matching button up shirt with
a black jacket and pants. neville was the biggest surprise. he was wearing a dark
maroon colored robe, with a matching waste coat and tie, white button
up shirt and black jacket and pants.�neville, who are you trying to impress?�
asked ron�he won�t tell,� said dean as he nudged neville. just then neville�s
eyes became as big as apples, he was looking in the direction of the hufflepuff
girls who were making their way down to the large group. hannah abbott
slowly made her way over to neville. she was wearing a daisy colored dress with a
matching robe.�hi neville, ready to go in?� she asked. neville�s mouth
hung wide open and if harry hadn�t nudged him he might never have moved.�uh � yeah
le � let�s go in,� said neville as he nervously offered his arm to hannah.
once they were gone the rest of the group just stood in amazement.�way to go
neville,� said ron to the rest of the group. they continued to chat with each
other until ginny and padma patil came down. ron leaned over to seamus before the
girls got to them.�good luck mate,� ron winked at him.�thanks,� smiled
seamus as padma reached his side. now it was just harry and ron and a handful of
other guys waiting for their dates.�so are you gonna tell me who you�re
taking?� asked harry as he watched more people entering the great hall.�won�t have
to . . . here she comes,� smiled ron as he tapped harry to turn around.
harry saw luna gliding down the stairway towards them. she was wearing a pale
purple dress and robe. the front of her hair was tied back into a ponytail
that was curled and the rest of her hair was curled as well.�you look wonderful,�
breathed ron as luna approached.�thank you,� blushed luna.�see you inside
mate,� said ron as the two walked into the hall leaving harry by himself. he
waited for a moment and looked towards the hospital wing hoping that his date
might emerge, but after another minute of waiting harry slowly walked into the
hall. the four long tables were gone and now replaced by a dance floor in
the middle and round tables filling the sides. the ceiling was bright with stars
and comets wizzing by and soft candle chandeliers hung in mid-air all
around the hall. harry found ron and went over to the table. he found a place card
with his name on it and sat down. ginny and dean were also at his table.
seamus and neville were at the table next to them. harry noticed the empty seat
next to him and saw the place card that sat on the plate. it read hermione
granger. again harry felt sad that hermione was not beside him. however he didn�t
have much time to dwell on it, the food soon appeared. before they started,
dumbledore stood and quieted the crowed.�before we start let�s give professor
flitwick and our caretaker mr. filch a round of applause for helping make
this yule ball possible,� the crowed clapped. �you may, dig in!� the old wizard
cheered. the hall was soon filled with the sounds of forks and knifes clicking
against plates. laughter could be heard all around, harry looked round to see all
the happy faces of his classmates. from the slytherin�s to ravenclaws
and hufflepuffs, the fourth through seventh years were all enjoying this party.�i
think i�m going to get some punch,� said ginny as she rose from the table.�i�ll
come with you,� said dean as he started to get up harry looked over at the punch
table and noticed draco was there.�i�ll go with her dean, i need to get
a drink anyway,� said harry as he quickly stood.�oh okay,� dean sat back down.
harry did feel a little sorry for dean, he could tell dean really liked
ginny, but she had her heart set on someone else. they started to walk to the
punch table and ginny leaned over to harry.�thank you harry,� she whispered.�no
problem,� harry whispered back. harry and ginny stood several feet away from
draco. after a few seconds draco made a comment.�where�s your mudblood pal
tonight potter?! that�s right still sleeping!� he hissed. harry instinctively took
one stride over to malfoy and grabbed him by the robe.�say something
else malfoy and we�ll see how long i can make you sleep,� said harry in a
murderous tone.�give this to ginny,� whispered draco, who slipped a piece of
paper into harry�s pocket. harry let draco go and turned back to ginny who had a
horrified look on her face. harry gave her a wink to let her know it was
all for show, they poured several glasses of punch but before they left harry
slide the piece of paper over to ginny. she eyed him for a moment.�draco?�
mouthed ginny. harry nodded and she quickly took the note. they walked back to the
table and handed everyone their punch.�what did that rat want?� growled
ron.�just trying to egg harry on that�s all,� said ginny as she handed dean his
cup.�so ya want me to talk to him,� said dean, who looked like he was about
to get up.�it�s okay dean, i took care of it,� said harry as he took his seat. the
group continued to chat as they ate. a little later desert carts were
wheeled to every table.�what would you like luna,� asked ron.�strawberry
cheesecake please,� she smiled. ron had been very kind and considerate towards
luna all night and harry could tell she was having a wonderful time.�what would
you like sir,� asked the house elf. harry snapped out of his train of thought
and looked at the desert cart.�um � chocolate cake please,� he said. a rich
chocolate cake was handed to harry who immediately started to eat it. as people
began to finish their deserts, the lights dimmed and a spot light was shown on
dumbledore.�it is now time for the dancing to begin!� he smiled. �but before
we start the music i have a very special guest i�d like to introduce,� whispered
conversations began as kids tried to guess who dumbledore might be talking
about.�i hope it�s no one from the ministry,� said ron.�with our luck it�s
probably umbridge,� joked ginny but all she saw were grim looks from everyone
at the table. the door to the hall opened and a figure walked in.�can you see who
it is?� ron asked ginny.�no its too dark,� she whispered as they all
continued to crane their necks to try and get a glimpse.�calm down�,� harry�s
heart stopped as he saw the person walking to the middle of the dance floor.
there was one collective gasp as everyone now saw who dumbledore�s gust was.�oh my
god its ���hermione?� whispered harry in a shaky voice. the spotlight
danced around her, giving her an angelic glow. she was wearing a pale blue dress
and robe. her hair was tied up in a french bun. harry slowly rose to his
feet still not convinced that the vision he was seeing was the girl he loved. his
knees were unsure of themselves but as he stepped closer to her he was
more convinced that it really was hermione. the air had become thin and harry
found it hard to breath but he was soon face to face with hermione who was
flashing her wonderful smile at him. the hall was still and no one dared to
move.�hermione?� whispered harry, still shocked that she was standing before
him. she slowly nodded her head.�it�s me harry,� she breathed. harry slowly raised
his hand and softly caressed her cheek. her skin felt warm and soft
just as he remembered. so many feelings overwhelmed him but one impulse was
screaming for him to kiss her, and so harry slowly bent his head down and kissed
her with all the love he had.�that�a boy harry!� shouted someone. harry completely
ignored the person and continued to kiss hermione. pretty soon more
cheers erupted from the crowd and as harry deepened his kiss the shouts grew
louder. once they parted harry picked hermione up and slowly spun her around.
music began to play and hermione leaned her head on harry�s shoulders as the
couple began to sway back and forth.�i love you hermione,� whispered harry.
she lifted her head and looked him right in the eye.�i�ve always loved you harry,�
smiled hermione. it was the happiest moment harry ever had, a surge
of energy pulsed through him. he could take voldemort on with one hand right this
minute if he had to. he wrapped his arms around hermione and lightly
squeezed.�i don�t ever want to let you go,� he whispered into hermione�s ear. she
pulled back slightly to look at him.�you know what julia said to me before
we hit the poll,� she asked. harry shook his head. �she said to me, �think of the
thing that makes you happy. think of harry.� and then everything went
black, but in my dreams you were always there to protect me,� she whispered.�and i
always will be,� smirked harry. they kissed one more time and continued
dancing, trying to make up for the time they lost. no one dared to interrupt them,
even ron and ginny knew they could talk with hermione on the train.
over at the teachers table and old wizard drew a deep breath and looked at a women
he cared for.�he�s finally happy albus,� smiled mcgonagall.�the boy
who lived has finally found love,� beamed the old wizard.�albus when will you tell
the boy about julia?� mcgonagall didn�t want to bring up a subject that
might dampen the mood.�after christmas, i promise,� a look of concern on
dumbledore�s face. �he may not forgive me for keeping this from him.�

chapter 19 : new relationship, same friend

a/n - sorry for the delay, works been really busy and i've been pulling 15 hour
shifts. thank you for hanging in there with me. chapter 19: new relationship,
same friendthe train ride back to london was uneventful. for the first hour
everyone continued to ask hermione questions about when she woke up, how did
she get madam pomfrey to let her go to the dance, then some how the topic switched
to neville who went bright red when they asked how he got hannah abbot
to go with him to the ball. things began to quiet down and hermione leaned against
harry and fell asleep. it felt wonderful to have hermione in his arms
he couldn't help but smile. he watched as luna and ron carried on a pleasant
conversation and ginny and neville played wizards chess. he turned his attention
to the window. it was a dreary day, rain would fall here and there. the grey
clouds refused to let any sunshine through. as harry continued to look out
the window he saw a bird flying high above them, it looked as though it was
following the train."rosie," thought harry. "is that you up there?""ah darn
you saw me," said the eagle. "how's hermione?""she's sleeping right now, i'm a
little worried about how weak she is," he looked down at hermione who had
to be helped onto the train by hagrid."don't worry, madam pomfrey has her on every
potion imaginable to get her back up to speed. plus, that potion they
gave her last night so she could dance with you is pretty powerful," said the bird
trying to lighten the mood."when do you think julia will wake up?" asked
harry as he watched ron tell neville he could beat ginny in three moves."soon i
hope, those first years are beating me up," said rosie, this caused harry
to laugh out loud. everyone in the compartment stopped what they were doing and
looked at harry."i'm talking with rosie," he said casually."is that how
i heard you, that night we got the death eater?" asked an interested
neville."yeah, i used rosie to talk with you. just like julia did in class to
communicate
with us," said harry. they spent the next several hours trying to communicate with
each other using rosie. it got particularly interesting when everyone
started to hear one of hermione's dreams. books that she hadn't read yet were
chasing her, everyone giggled until they heard a voice in the dream that
sounded like sirius."protect my godson hermione, i'm counting on you." harry and
ron knew where they had heard it before. it was in sirius's note to
hermione."maybe
we should take a break," suggested harry. everyone slowly went back to doing
something else while harry continued to listen to hermione to make sure she
wasn't beating herself up for anything else, but he didn't have much time, soon
the train pulled into platform nine and three quarters."hermione we're
here," whispered harry. she rubbed her eyes and slowly looked around. no one would
make eye contact with her as the group grabbed their belongings, but
before they had a chance to open their compartment door two tall redheads
appeared. fred and george made funny faces at the group as they banged against
the glass."alright we're in charge here," said george as he opened the
door."locomotor," said fred as he pointed his wand at hermione. she floated above
the seat and slowly hovered over to fred."reducio, reducio � um reducio oh and
reducio," said george who shrank all of harry's, ginny's, ron's and hermione's
luggage. "okay throw the stuff in your pocket and let's go � oh sorry luna and
neville � reducio, reducio, and reducio. you're gran can un-shrink it neville
don't worry," smiled george as he followed fred who had hermione on his back. the
group just stood still for a moment in the compartment looking at each
other."now you all know why i wish i had a sister," said ginny dully as they all
turned to the window to watched fred skipping around the platform like
a pony with hermione laughing hysterically on his back. they followed the twins up
into the main part of the station where mr. and mrs. weasley were waiting,
along with mad-eye, tonks, lupin, charlie, bill and hagrid."you two knock it off,
she ain't a rag doll," barked moody as hagrid came up and grabbed hermione
from fred. "you lot, where's your belongings?""they shrunk it for us," said harry
as he pointed at george."they did something useful, amazing," he grumbled
as he turned to exit. "come on we don't have all day.""what's gotten into him,"
whispered ron to fred."he's been like this the last couple of days, trying
to make sure nothing happens on the way to grimmauld place," said fred. the kids
said they're goodbyes to luna and neville."i'll write luna," said ron."no
he wont! he'll see you after break," shouted moody from down the platform. ron
just stared for a moment at moody, then looked at luna and gave her a frown."it's
okay i'll see you in a few weeks," she said as she went in to give ron a hug. the
group of friends watched as ron for a second didn't know what to do but
soon returned the hug."ron! harry keep up," yelled mrs. weasley."why didn't she
yell at you," ron asked ginny."cause she knows i'm staying back here to
make sure you don't get lost," she smiled as she poked fun at her brother. they
soon caught up to the rest of the group and harry could hear hermione begging
to be put down."honestly hagrid i can walk, there's really no need to carry me."
she continued to protest as they went to the front of the station where
a black limousine was waiting."we're not all riding in that are we?" asked ron."of
course little bro, the ministry doesn't want their one hope to defeat
you-know-who to get hurt," smiled george. "so we get to ride in style.""wait a
minute this is a neverending limousine isn't it," gasped hermione. the group
of kids looked up at her."she's not even awake twenty four hours and she's already
pointing out things we don't know," joked ron."no i've heard about them
too. the outside keeps the same shape but it adapts to the amount of people inside
by shrinking us," said ginny who opened a door and peeked her head in
to look."what are you a hermione in training?" asked ron."ronald stop being a
smarty pants and get in the car," said mrs. weasley as she gave him a nudge."we
will return to full size right, everything will be intact?" questioned a nervous
ron."why, who are you trying to impress?" asked harry. the whole grouped
laughed except ron who went completely red and walked right into the limo."hagrid,
you coming?" asked harry who was the last one to get into the limo."no
i'm riding in the ambulance with julia," said hagrid as he walked to a large black
suv that was parked in front of the limo. harry was about to ask another
question but he saw the back doors of the suv open to reveal madam pomfrey and
several nurses from st. mungo's preparing to receive julia who was carefully
being lifted into the car by mad-eye."that car has the same spell as the limo. we
need ways to transport witches and wizards who can't apparate themselves
to st. mungo's or other places," said mr. weasley who was looking at harry from
the car. harry gave the suv one more glance before he stepped into the
limo."mr. weasley, why can't other wizards just grab them and apparate for them?"
asked harry as he took his seat next to hermione."you mean like julia
and dumbledore did in diagon alley," said mr. weasley. "not many witches and
wizards can produce enough magic to transport two people or three, the way
dumbledore and julia did. it's very rare but then again dumbledore and julia
aren't your average witch and wizard." harry didn't ask any more questions
instead he just thought about what mr. weasley had said.after several loops around
the block and dropping people off two at a time harry finally entered
his home. a thought that still seemed weird to him was that he owned this place.
he carried hermione up to her room and then proceeded to his. as he enlarged
his trunk and his birdcage, hedwig gave a confused hoot as the bird returned to
normal size."sorry hedwig, it wasn't my idea," said harry who searched
for a treat to give the well behaved bird. as he settled into his room, he heard
noises coming from the room next door, he peeked into the hall and saw
julia's body being hovered into the room. he took a deep breath and went down to
join his friends in the girl's room. several hours later the group was
down in the kitchen eating a wonderful dinner that dobby and winky had
prepared."dobby, winky this is fabulous, i want the recipe," asked an amazed mrs.
weasley."its very simple mama, i can write it out for you tonight," piped up winky
in her high voice."oh winky dear that would be wonderful, thank you,"
said mrs. weasley who continued to eat the wonderful beef stew the house elves
made. dumbledore, mcgonagall and snape had arrived at the house just before
dinner. hermione was able to come down for dinner but everyone could tell she was
quickly becoming tired, along with the rest of the children."well it's
been a long day, why don't you all get some rest. tomorrow we'll be decorating,"
cheered mrs. weasley. they all got up from the table harry made sure to
help hermione up, but as they reached the stairs she threatened everyone if they
didn't let her try to go up them herself. of course she made her way up
them and only needed to stop twice to take a break. madam pomfrey and mcgonagall,
who were following the group to give hermione her last potions for the
night, were very impressed with how well she handled them."you sure you don't need
anything?" asked harry as he stopped in front of hermione's room."i'm
fine, don't worry about me," she smiled."if you need anything i'll be right next
door," harry seemed worried to let her out of his sight. he had slept
in a bed next to hers the night before in the hospital wing of hogwarts."harry
i'll be okay, nothings going to happen," hermione could tell harry's reluctance
to let her go."i know," said harry as he looked down at his feet."hey," she put
her hand on his cheek. "it will be okay, don't worry," she stood on her
tiptoes and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips."okay okay, she'll see you tomorrow
morning harry," said ginny from in side the room. the two looked embarrassed
as they parted from their kiss. hermione grabbed the door and began to close
it."love you," she whispered."love you too," said harry."and i love everyone,"
said george from the bottom of the stairs. hermione laughed and slowly closed her
door but not without giving harry a wink. harry continued to his bedroom
where he was meet with dumbledore, lupin, mad eye and snape."when did you guys get
up here?" asked harry who had just seen them all eating downstairs just
minutes ago."while you were sucking miss. grangers face," said snape
unpleasantly."it's also known as kissing," said lupin to snape, the two glared at
each other for a moment."cut it out you two," huffed moody."we're hear to monitor
you tonight," said a very composed dumbledore."oh yeah . . . to see if
i can block out voldemort." said harry, who wasn't thrilled with the idea of snape
watching him sleep. harry started to undress then turn to the four men
standing in his room still staring at him. "um � can i have a moment?" the wizards
all turned around and continued to talk with each other while harry
stripped down to his boxers. he jumped into bed and quickly covered
himself."ready," he said nervously."wonderful, now harry i want you to clear your
mind,"
the headmaster took a seat next to harry's bed while the others slowly took their
seats around the room. harry closed his eyes and began to clear out any
thoughts he had from the day."concentrate on your breathing," said dumbledore
whose voice was becoming very soothing and harry found himself quickly slipping
into a deep sleep. it seemed he was only sleeping for a minute when images began
to take shape."master we couldn't track them, the car kept driving in
circles," sniveled a death eater."well then why aren't you still out there
watching it drive in circles," said the all to familiar voice. the man began
to cry out in pain as harry could see the crucio spell being performed on the
death eater kneeling before voldemort."now you said you had some sort of
news, what might that be," said the dark lord. the death eater took a moment to
catch his breath then looked up at the evil wizard."the mudblood girl is
awake, and is believed to be very close with potter," said the death eater still
in pain."really," voldemort began to pace. "maybe we could use this to
our advantage . . . maybe we could use her to draw potter out." at this harry
could feel his own emotions coming through. he wasn't going to let voldemort
touch her, even if he had to die to do it. at that moment harry could feel a shift
in voldemorts demeanor."what is it my lord?" asked the death eater."we're
not alone . . . i think some one is watching," roared voldemort. harry could feel
his body being jerked up into a kneeling position, pain coursed through
him."you would die for her potter! just like your father!" the high pitched squeal
of voldemort echoing in harry's mind. he could also hear dumbledore
and the others try and help him."albus can you break the connection," yelled moody
who was pointing his wand at harry trying to counter voldemort. harry's
arms were spread out and his chest was protruding forward as if some one had
hooked him like a fish and was trying to wheel him in. harry screamed out
in utter pain, it was just like in the ministry. his body felt like it was on the
brink of death, but unlike the other time harry did not wish to die.
he was trying with all his might to concentrate and push voldemort out of his
head."you won't win!" yelled harry. the group surrounding harry stop as they
heard his voice."harry keep fighting," said lupin who along with snape was also
pointing their wands trying to counter cures voldemort."come on potter
you can do better then that," taunted voldemort. harry gave out a loud grunt as he
began to push even harder."ahhh," voldemort screamed out in pain. harrys
body relaxed for a moment."harry keep fighting help is on the way," said
dumbledore."albus where are you going?" shouted mad eye. another wave of pain
hit harry as voldemort recovered from harry's moment of triumph."i will kill you!"
yelled a crazed voldemort."not � before � i � kill � you � first!" said
harry between waves of pain. he was starting to lose his fight with voldemort, his
strength was draining quickly, but just as he was about to give up harry
felt the warmth of another body. he was suddenly at peace. he couldn't feel any
more pain but could still feel voldemorts presence and now the presence
of someone else."i love you harry," came the voice of hermione. voldemort gave out
another cry of pain but this one was much deeper then the first. he
completely let go of all control over harry. which caused the boy to collapse into
hermione's arms."master are you okay," said the voice of the death eater.
harry couldn't believe it, he was still connected to voldemort but with out him
knowing."you're right," said voldemort out of breath. "the mudblood is
very close with potter . . . too close." harry could feel hermione letting go of
him and the moment she let go voldemort stiffened again. harry blindly
reached out for her. hermione grabbed his hand, which caused voldemort to calm
down."what should we do master," said the death eater as he helped voldemort
off the floor."nothing," whispered the dark wizard."nothing sir?" questioned the
death eater."yes, i must figure out what happened tonight and if it can
happen again," as voldemort finished speaking harry slowly lost his connection. he
slowly opened his eyes. people were standing over him but with out his
glasses he couldn't tell whom."here harry," said a voice that sounded like lupin.
the man was handing harry his glasses and once on he saw the entire household
standing in his room. however the person he wanted to see most was the one sitting
at the end of his bed still holding his hand."what happened harry? tell
us everything," said a nervous dumbledore."a death eater was telling voldemort
about not being able to follow us from the station today," said harry as
collected his thoughts."i knew it," said moody from the other side of the
bed."voldemort tortured him and then asked about any other news the death eater
had," harry didn't want to say it out loud, not in front of everyone, it would
scare hermione."what was the other news?" pushed lupin. harry took a deep
breath."he told voldemort that the mudblood had woken up and that she was very
special to me," harry couldn't look hermione in the eye, he just stared
at his feet as he talked."is that when he felt your presence?" asked a still
nervous dumbledore."yes, then he started to torture me," harry felt completely
embarrassed. how was he supposed to defeat the dark lord when voldemort could
torture him miles away?"what did you do to stop him? there was a moment where
your body relaxed and it looked like you had beat him," asked a very impressed
snape."i don't know � last time he did that to me in the ministry � " there
was a gasp from mrs. weasley, mcgonagall and even a grunt from moody. "i just
wanted to give up and die. i didn't care i wanted the pain to be over . .
. but this time � ""this time you weren't going to let anyone hurt your friends,"
injected dumbledore, who saved harry from having to divulge too much
about his feelings towards hermione."right, so i just concentrated as hard as i
could and i forced him out for a moment," harry was still looking down
at his feet."why did you reach out for hermione when he had let you go?" asked
moody."because when he let me go we were still connected. when hermione
stopped touching me he began to feel my presence for a moment but once we were
touching again he didn't know i was there," harry glanced at mad-eye then
back to his feet."did he say anything else?" asked fred, everyone turned and gave
him a nasty look."yes he did . . . he said i was too close to the mudblood
and that he didn't want to do anything until he could figure out if this could
happen again. i think he was referring to hermione forcing him out," harry
slowly raised his head to look at hermione. all he saw was complete concern in her
eyes. she slowly crawled over to him and gave him a hug."don't worry,
he's not getting either of us with out a fight," she said as she stroked the back
of harry's head. he was wiped out. he rested his head on her shoulder
hoping that she was right. the room was still as everyone watched the couple hold
each other."the most important thing now is to figure out how hermione
helped you defeat him . . . and figure it out before voldemort does," said a grim
moody.

chapter 20 : winter wonderland

chapter 20: winter wonderland

the house smelled of hot apple cider and creamy hot chocolate. mrs. weasley wasn�t
kidding when she told everyone they were going to be decorating. she
had dumbledore and mcgonagall decorating the hallways, hagrid and ginny were
preparing the tree for everyone to decorate later that night, fred and george
had gone with winky and dobby to buy food for the christmas feast, lupin, harry,
hermione and ron spent the day wrapping presents. harry had received a
huge package from colin with all of the photo�s already in frames, he took the box
and crept up to julia�s room knowing he�d have peace and quiet. harry
put the box in julia�s room then crept back to his room to grab the wrapping
paper. on the way back he stopped for a moment when he heard humming coming
from the hallway below. he peered over the banister to see dumbledore and
mcgonagall humming christmas carols to each other.

�wait, what�s that muggle song about gold rings?� asked dumbledore as he was
lifting another red bow into the air.

�oh honestly albus you ask me that every year,� chuckled mcgonagall. �on the first
day of christmas my true love gave to me,� she paused and looked at dumbledore.

�ah yes, a partridge in a pear tree,� said a jovial dumbledore. harry smiled at
the cute scene between his two professors. he noticed the box of decoration
next to mcgonagall and saw the mistletoe lying on top. he pulled his wand out
slowly and pointed at the mistletoe.

�wingardium leviosa,� he whispered. the mistletoe began to float up wards towards

harry. he had to motion for it to fly faster because dumbledore started
to turn around as the mistletoe floated up behind him. once harry thought the
mistletoe was high enough for them not to notice but low enough for people
walking into notice he cleared his throat.

�subsisto objecto,� whispered harry. the mistletoe abruptly stopped in mid air and
just stayed there. as if on cue george and fred stormed through the front
door with winky, dobby and tonks in tow.

�great job on the decorating professors,� said george as he walked by them.

�wait a tic! you two are standing under mistletoe,� piped up tonks who pointed up
to it hanging in mid air. �well go on, some one has to kiss the other.�

�yeah come on headmaster show us how it�s done,� cheered fred. dumbledore raised
one eyebrow at the young man, who took the cue and quickly went into the
kitchen with his brother.

�oh come on its tradition,� smiled tonks. dumbledore slowly leaned over and kiss
mcgonagall on the cheek. tonks clapped then headed into the kitchen with
the twins.

�i wonder who put that up there?� questioned dumbledore who looked towards the
direction harry was in. harry had slowly crept into julia�s room and was
now just listening. he had a huge smile on his face as he closed the door to the
room. he settled himself on the floor right next to julia�s bed. he opened
the box and noticed a photo he had never seen before. colin had taken a photo of
harry kissing hermione at the dance, there was a note attached to second
copy of the picture.

dear harry,
i thought you might want this picture, since it was your first kiss with hermione.
way to go! anyway i hope you have a wonderful christmas and i can�t wait
to start you know what when we get back!

all the best,

colin

how did colin know it was his first kiss? was it that obvious that he has never
kissed a girl before? as harry thought about it he continued to stare at
the picture. the picture framed all of their bodies leaving a little room at the
top and bottom. the spot light was hitting the back of his shoulder and
just the edge of his ear while the light caught hermione�s hair, leaving the
actual kiss in a perfect silhouette. harry looked up at julia and noticed
the picture from her office had been place at her bedside table. he put hermione�s
picture down and stood up to get a better look at julia�s. harry had
never noticed but julia�s parents seemed a little old to have such a young child.
he peered at it even closer and noticed julia�s father and how his hair
looked as wild as harry�s, his was obviously gray but just as wild. he then
noticed how hazel julia�s mother�s eyes were, and just as harry started to
think about it he heard a soft knock at the door.

�harry? you in here?� came the soft voice of hermione.

�uh yeah,� said harry who wasn�t paying attention until he heard hermione�s next
comment.

�oh harry, this picture is beautiful,� hermione was gasping at the picture of them
kissing. harry turned and realized he left the pictures out. �did colin
take this?�

�yeah, he figured we�d want it,� said harry as he scratched the back of his head
in defeat. �i was gonna give it to you as a christmas present but i guess
i�ll have to think of something else,� he laughed.

�you already gave me the greatest christmas present i could ask for,� she said as
she put the picture down and took a step towards harry. �your heart,�
she took another step forward and wrapped her arms around harry, who instinctively
wrapped his arms around her, harry had never felt this way about anyone
and to slowly realize just how much she loved him back almost made him lose his
balance.

�how are you feeling?� he asked while leaning his head against hers.

�better, i think by christmas i�ll be one hundred percent,� she learned back to
look at harry. �what about you? did you get any sleep last night?�

�i�m fine, don�t worry about me,� he let go of her and turned to look at julia.

�harry, you don�t have to act like everything is fine in front of me. if something
is bothering you i want you to tell me,� hermione stood next to him on
the side of julia�s bed.

�it�s just,� harry took a deep breath and hung his head. �how am i supposed to
beat voldemort if he can control me, like he did last night,� harry looked
up at hermione. �he was miles away hermione, and the only thing that stopped him
was you. and we don�t even know how you did it.�

�it wasn�t just me harry, it was us. together we beat him.�

�but how? how did we do it?� harry was becoming frustrated. hermione put her hand
on his shoulder.

�its part of the riddle from the sorting hat, with the love of a family member and
friend you�ll have enough power to destroy voldemort. i believe in you,�
smiled hermione. harry just looked at her in amazement.

�how did i get so lucky to have you,� smiled harry.

�well it took you six years but you finally got it,� she joked as she leaned in
and kissed him.

�hey harry, lets go!� shouted ron from the front door. harry and hermione parted
from the kiss and gave each other that knowing look.

�where are you going?� asked hermione.

�to diagon alley, i promised ron i�d help him pick out a gift for luna,� said
harry as he began to pack up his stuff.

�do you want me to wrap that while you�re gone?� she asked.

�would you?� harry was suddenly relieved, he wasn�t very good a wrapping.

�sure, besides your wrapping last year just scared me,� said hermione as she took
a seat on the floor and grabbed the first picture of the order. �i assume
there is one for everyone in the picture?�

�yes, and there is one other picture in there for you and ron,� as harry spoke he
slyly took one of the copies of the kissing picture. hermione had given
him a great idea for a real gift. �do you need anything while i�m out?�

�actually there is a package under julia�s name at the quidditch store can i trust
you not to open it and wait till christmas?� hermione eyed him.

�yes i promise not to open it,� said harry as he gave her his mischievous smile.

�harry we ain�t got all day!� came another shout from ron.

�then stop yellin� and i�ll come down,� shouted harry over his shoulder. �anything
else?�

�no i think that�s it, but you better get going. if i need anything dobby said
he�d run out and get it. have a good time.�

�i�ll try,� smiled harry as he began to shut the door. �oh and thanks again for
doing that, love you.�

�love you too.� said hermione as harry closed the door, hearing hermione say those
words could never get old, thought harry as he jogged down the stairs.

�did you check in with the misses to make sure you could leave,� teased ron as
harry threw on his order robe.

�i�m sorry, aren�t we buying a present for your soon to be misses?� said harry.

�she�s just a friend,� said ron who suddenly became serious.

�soon to be misses friend,� continued harry, who heard fred and george complain as
they left the kitchen.

�we just got back from diagon alley?� said fred with a sandwich in his hand.

�i know tonks will be shadowing you and moody will meet you there, and once the
boys are there you can come back but we must appear like we don�t suspect
and attack,� explained mrs. weasley as she pushed the twins towards the front
door.

�we can�t come back, we have to re-open the store. it�s already been closed for
two hours,� complained george.

�then grab some food there and re-open the store,� huffed mrs. weasley.

�alright alright, you two ready?� said fred to ron and harry.

�we�ve been ready,� said ron trying to be cheeky.

�been ready to take your favorite bus,� smiled george.

�oh no!� said an exasperate ron. meanwhile an hour later ron and harry were
walking down the alley heading for the jewelry store.

�ron, we�ve walked up and down the whole alley twice already,� said harry who was
getting tired of pointing things out to ron.

�okay then why are we going into the jewelry store,� said an even more tired ron.

�because when in doubt, buy jewelry for women,� said harry as they made they�re
way inside.

an hour later, harry and ron were carrying they�re jewelry cases into the now
empty streets of diagon alley. they stopped at the quidditch store to pick
up julia�s package then walked up to the twins shop and helped them close out the
day. ron showed harry on the bus ride home the beautiful sterling silver
raven necklace he got for luna. harry could tell ron was excited to send it to
her. harry followed ron into the house and was completely floored to see
the blonde slick hair of draco malfoy staring back at him along with the excited
young face of padraig mcnair.

�what are you doing here?� snapped ron as he saw draco standing in the hallway.

�being held against my will,� retorted draco. ron took a step forward towards
draco, who did that same. ginny ran from the kitchen and stepped between them.

�he�s not worth it ron,� ginny stepped in given ron a serious look, and then gave
draco the same look. but harry knew that her look to draco was one of
pleading more then threatening.

�he still hasn�t answered the question, why are you here?� growled ron.

�because i brought him,� sneered snape who came from the living room and stepped
in front of ron. �do you have a problem with that mr. weasley?!�

�only if harry does, considering it�s his house,� ron shot back, snape was no
longer ron�s teacher and harry could tell he had no problem mouthing back
at him.

�professor snape, mr. weasley,� said a very stern dumbledore. �would you two
please excuse yourselves while i talk with harry.� everyone had crowed around
the scene that had unfolded between ron and snape. harry saw hermione on the
stairway and she motioned for him to come join her after he was done. harry
nodded his head then followed dumbledore into the living room.

�i�m sorry i didn�t get a chance to ask you this sooner, and now that mr. malfoy
and mr. mcnair are already here i know it makes my question even harder,�
said dumbledore as he shut the doors to the living room. �since most of the
students went home and most of the professors are doing missions for the order,
professor snape feels that hogwarts is not safe for his two students.�

�so the slytherins think draco and padraig are at school and no one saw professor
snape bring them here?� harry was more concerned about the orders secrecy
then draco.

�yes, professor snape made sure no one saw them leave. and they will go back to
hogwarts a day before you do so that it looks like they spent the whole
holiday there,� dumbledore could sense harry�s concerns. �but if you do not want
them here then i�ll have snape stay with them through the break.� harry
took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

�then i guess they can stay . . . but i don�t want draco behaving badly towards
anyone in this house,� harry wanted to have a relaxing break not play referee.

�then i will talk with mr. malfoy and mr. mcnair,� dumbledore smiled at harry�s
selflessness.

�hagrid put him down,� came the screams of hermione. harry and dumbledore quickly
opened the doors to the living room and were meet with hagrid holding
malfoy by the collar with one arm and hoisting him up into the air.

�if yer say one word that hurts anyones fellin�s i�ll pop ya so hard ya wish
buckbeak really hurt you!� roared hagrid.

�put him down you big oaf!� yelled snape who was coming from the kitchen.

�break him in half hagrid, no one will miss him,� said ron who followed snape.

�you shut up,� spat snape who turned around and started to go at it with ron.

�lay off him severus, you brought draco before talking with anyone of us. of
course they have the right to be mad,� said lupin.

�hagrid, just put the brat down,� laughed moody from the stairs. within minutes
fights had broken out between everyone. ron, lupin and snape were going
at it, ginny and hermione were yelling at each other, dumbledore was trying to get
hagrid to let draco go but mad-eye kept egging hagrid on. harry just
took a seat on the stairs next to padraig who looked completely lost.

�does this always happen?� asked padraig who had to raise his voice over the
shouting.

�only when we have guests,� said harry who was watching mcgonagall try and
separate lupin and snape.
several hours later, everyone was gathered for dinner. no one spoke, only the
sound of utensils and cups could be heard. snape, draco and padraig sat at
one end of the table while ron, lupin and hagrid sat at the other. harry of course
was sitting in the middle with hermione, dumbledore, the twins, mr.
and mrs. weasley and mcgonagall. moody and tonks happened to go on patrol right
before dinner. it wasn�t until dobby and winky entered that anything happened.

�dobby did you and winky get some food?� asked harry.

�dobby? what�s he doing here?� said draco from his end of the table.

�whatever he damn well pleases, your father let him go,� said ron as he slowly
stood.

�he was tricked into letting him go,� sneered malfoy who also stood as if getting
ready for another fight.

�i hired dobby and he works for me,� said harry in a loud tone.

�what about that one, didn�t she use your wand at the quidditch world cup?� asked
draco who softened his tone.

�yes and she now works for the weasley�s,� harry didn�t feel like telling draco
that he was paying both of them to work. draco didn�t ask any more questions
but just went back to eating.

�harry potter sir!� dobby came running over to harry.

�what is it dobby?�

�it�s snowing sir!� the whole group got up and headed for the back yard. it had
been snowing for what looked like many hours. there was snow back at hogwarts
but none had fallen near the city and now they were guaranteed to have a white
christmas. harry could feel his cheeks tingle with the crisp air while he
heard the crunch of snow under his feet, but the feeling he wasn�t expecting was a
snowball to the head.

�got ya!� yelled ron, who was making another snowball. harry had quickly made one
and threw it at ron who ducked out of the way causing the snowball to
hit draco.

�you�re dead potter,� laughed draco. pretty soon everyone was throwing a snowball,
even dobby and winky tried a few. harry paused and looked around at everyone
enjoying themselves with out a care in the world.

�this is what life will be like,� said harry under his breath. �when i finally
beat you!� deep in the forbidden forest an evil wizard sat and felt the surge
of power that ran through harry as he spoke his last words.

�potter is growing stronger,� hissed voldemort.

�i say we kill the little brat now, while he�s not in school,� suggested
bellatrix.

�do you know where he is?� snapped voldemort.

�no master.�
�then hold your tongue,� voldemort stood and began to pace.

�we do know the other one hasn�t woken up yet, she was being transported in a
ambulance,� said bellatrix trying to impress her master.

�are you sure it�s her bella, are you sure it�s julia?� asked a concerned
voldemort.

�i�m positive my lord . . . but why does she matter. once potter is out of the
way��

�silence!� hissed voldemort. �do you not remember anything i taught you 16 years
ago or has azkaban dulled your mind?�

�i�m sorry master, i have forgotten why she is important,� said bellatrix as she
bowed her head.

�because of her prophecy, if she fulfills hers then potter will succeed in his,�
said the dark lord. �it was smart of dumbledore to keep her hidden, even
from harry. she must have been blocking me from his mind before we attacked, if so
then she is much stronger then i anticipated.�

�what do you want us to do my lord?� asked bellatrix.

�see if you can follow aurthur weasley,� suggested voldemort.

�we�ve had people try and follow him for months,� said bellatrix.

�i want you to follow him bella,� said voldemort as he circled around her.

�and if i find out where he goes?� she asked.

�kill him!�

chapter 21 : christmas and the truth about julia

chapter 21: christmas and the truth about julia

"its christmas morning everyone!" yelled padraig as he ran down the hallway and
jumped down the stairs towards the living room. doors slowly opened on the
second and third floor. harry rubbed his eyes and put his glasses on to look out
into the hall, ron and ginny looked half awake while hermione looked like
she had been up for hours. lupin was trying to tie his robe but kept missing the
loophole.

"severus i'm gonna kill ya," grumbled mad eye as the group slowly made they're way
down into the living room.

"merry christmas!" shouted padraig who was running around in a santa hat. the
morning was filled with "oohs" and "ahhs" as gifts were being unwrapped from
all around the room.

"oh molly i love it!" cheered mr. weasley as he looked at a television set mrs.
weasley had bought for him. "what does it do?"

"oh professors ya shouldn't have," said hagrid who was wearing the new dragon hide
vest that the order had bought for him.
"oh merlin!" gasped mrs. weasley at fred and georges gift.

"what did they get?" ask ron who was downing a chocolate frog.

"there was some space next to our shop and we bought it for mum for her to have
her own knitting store," smiled fred.

"i mean if she has to torture us with these," george held up his g sweater. "then
why not torture everyone." the weasley family all grouped together and
had a hug, as harry watched them he noticed hermione found her gift from him under
the tree. she unwrapped it then opened the box.

"harry!" she squealed and threw her arms around him.

"what is it?" asked tonks. hermione showed the round hart shaped locket with the
inscription "my herat" on the front of it. then she opened it to show tonks
the part of the kissing picture and opposite that was another inscription which
read "love, h.j.p"

"now i feel like my present isn't worth giving," said hermione still in shock at
harry's gift.

"i'll love anything you give me, just because it comes from you," said harry as he
hugged hermione.

"oh gag me with a spoon," said ron from the other side of the room.

"i'll remember to say that when i catch you and luna together," said hermione. ron
turned red as always and the twins began to give him guff. "here," said
hermione. "i saw the emeralds and thought of you, then i realized what it was and
thought it might bring you some luck." harry opened the box to find a
shamrock with three deep green emeralds as the leaves. "i didn't know if you'd
wear a necklace but i can have them make it into an ear ring or bracelet
or something else," hermione was nervous about the gift.

"i love it," said harry, whose eyes sparkled a little brighter as he looked at the
stones. "here," he turned hermione around and grabbed the locket from
her then clasped it around her neck. he then gave her his necklace and turned
around for her to do the same. the shamrock rested just under harry's neck
while hermione's locket hung just above her chest.

"you should probably hand out the pictures now," whispered hermione.

"oh yeah." harry went over to the corner where he hid the box. he put it down in
front of the tree then cleared his throat. "if you'd all just give me a
minute i have something i'd like to say." all movement stopped and all eyes were
on harry. "i know we've gone through a lot together and we still have
one more big challenge to overcome. but i wanted you all to have something to
remember this time by, the resurrection of the order and the beginning of
voldemort's downfall," harry paused to look at his adopted family. "i will do
everything it my power not to let you down, i promise," and with that harry
started to pass out the wrapped picture of the order. he also gave draco and
padraig a wrapped present.

"what's this?" asked draco as he took the gift from harry.

"you know colin. never runs out of film," said harry as he moved on. draco and
padraig unwrapped their gifts to find a picture of the eight slytherin's
all together by the lake.

by the afternoon things had quieted down significantly. hermione was escorted to
see her parents and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. the weasley's all
went to check out the space the twins had bought for mrs. weasley. dumbledore and
mcgonagall went back to hogwarts to check in and make sure everything
was okay. snape had taken draco and padraig somewhere, leaving harry with lupin,
moody, tonks, dobby and winky. harry had received a large photo album
from the order. the album was full of photos and small pieces of memorabilia
related to his parents. he went up to julia's room to start looking at it.

"merry christmas julia," whispered harry as he looked at the still form of his
professor. "i wish you'd wake up, it would make everyone happy . . . it would
make me happy," said harry as he looked down at the bed sheets. "i have so many
questions and i feel like you're the only person i can talk to about them
. . . oh i got you a christmas present," harry put the order picture on her night
stand next to the picture of her parents. he then pulled up a chair and
stared to look through the album. they're head boy and girl badge was attached to
a photo of the two of them standing at the front of the hall directing
first years after the opening feast. both james and lily's letters informing them
of their acceptance into hogwarts was also on the page. harry took a
long look at each page. watching every picture with immense concentration harry
soon lost track of time and before to long he heard a soft knock on the
door.

"harry?" came the voice of mcgonagall. harry was startled and dropped the album.

"professors? i thought you were at hogwarts?" asked a confused harry.

"i was this afternoon mr. potter but it's now dinner time," she smiled.

"wow, okay i'll be down in a moment," said an amazed harry. mcgonagall smiled and
closed the door. harry reached down to grab the album and noticed it had
opened to the wedding section. an invitation to the wedding was on the first page,
there was a picture of james and lily and after a moment they began
to talk.

"james potter," said his father.

"and lily evens �"

"soon to be potter," smiled james.

"invite you to join us on this special day," smiled lily.

"what else are you doing," joked james.

"james," lily smacked him then looked back at harry. "we hope you to see you
there."

harry didn't noticed but a single tear had formed in his right eye, he had no idea
that hearing his mother and father would have such and impact. he slowly
ran his finger around their faces then looked at the next pages. several pictures
of the wedding were there, sirius, lupin, james and peter all standing
together in their finest dress robes and lily and james feeding each other cake. a
picture taken during the ceremony shows them looking up at dumbledore
who's holding a very large book. then another picture caught harry's attention. it
was a picture of james and lily stand next to two older people. harry
took a closer look at the picture and felt that he had seen those two older people
before. he looked up at julia then to the picture of her parents. pieces
to a puzzle began to slowly came together.

"well first let me introduce our new guest, julia is one of the finest auror's
ireland has, but she is also a close friend of mine and i'd trust her with
my life."

"he reminds me of james. i know both he and lily would be very proud of him."

"you can't push them that hard yet, they don't understand your reasoning for it."
"everyday we don't train them is another student we could lose." "i know
you're upset from the vision�" "upset! albus if i can't figure out what i'm
suppose to do, he could die."

"i have severed the potter family for five generations."

as harry started to remember all of these details another came to mind, the fear
he saw in bellatrix's face when julia had shown herself. harry could feel
the anger boiling within him. had dumbledore truly kept this from him? harry's
shaky hand took julia's picture from the nightstand and he placed it beside
the picture in the album. they looked identical except that his picture in the
album looked like it had been cut off. harry slowly took julia's picture
out of the frame and noticed a part of it that was bent back. he took a deep
breath and bent the piece forward. he was now looking at the complete picture
of his parents with julia's parents and julia. he looked back at the album and
read the caption underneath it. "james and lily with mr. and mrs. potter."
everything slipped out of his hand as he looked up at julia.

"who are you," he chocked back the angry tears that were forming. at breakneck
speed harry had ran out of the room down the stairs and was standing in the
kitchen seething mad. his eyes were red and his breathing was erratic as he stared
at dumbledore.

"harry dear, what's the matter?" asked a concerned mrs. weasley.

"who is julia?!" roared harry. dumbledore's face lost all color.

"harry maybe we should �"

"who is she?" harry screamed again. dumbledore looked destroyed, he knew that
harry might find out before he told him the truth and now he could see the
consequence of his actions yet again. by trying to protect harry he hurt him even
deeper, this being the deepest cut of all. there was no way out of this
and the old wizard knew it, so he took a moment then looked the angry young man in
the face.

"her name is julia genevieve potter and she is your aunt," said dumbledore with a
great sigh. for several moments no one spoke. harry continued to stare
at dumbledore with complete hatred in his eyes. lupin was the first to act and he
slowly rose from the table and made his way over to harry.

"harry �"

"did you know!?" harry's head slowly turned to lupin. harry's gaze was so piercing
that lupin had to look away.

"i did," whispered lupin.

"and you!?" spat harry as he looked at mcgonagall, who nodded her head. he then
slowly leaned down on the table and looked at dumbledore. "you promised
you wouldn't keep anything from me again," he whispered.

"harry �"

"you promised!" screamed harry as he pounded the table with his fist. "she's my
family! her blood could have protected me!"

"no she couldn't have harry, her blood comes from your fathers side and even
though he did die to protect you, his sacrifice wasn't as dramatic as your
mothers," said dumbledore in a calm voice. no one had left the kitchen, even lupin
was rooted to where he stood.

"all i've heard in my life is how i have no family left, and yet here i am asking
you again why you kept something from me. not only did you keep the prophecy
from me, you kept this!" as harry finished he could hear murmurs around the
kitchen.

"did he say prophecy," said fred to george.

"go on tell them! tell them what the prophecy said! you don't have to worry about
lying to me any more," jeered harry as he continued to give dumbledore
and menacing look. the lights in the kitchen began to flicker and dumbledore's
eyes rolled back in his head.

"the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches . . . born to those
who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies . . . and the
dark lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows
not . . . and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can
live while the other survives . . . the one with the power to vanquish the dark
lord will be born as the seventh month dies . . ." the reverberating voice
that came from dumbledore scared everyone including harry, but he did not show it.
the kitchen had become so still that no one was breathing, even dobby
and winky stood in complete awe.

"now here's a prophecy for you . . . the one with the power to vanquish the dark
lord doesn't care! go find someone else to play hero because i'm done,"
with that, harry left the kitchen kicking the door behind him. he walked back up
to his room where he slammed the door to make it seem like he wasn't coming
back out, but he had another plan. he grabbed his broom, invisibility clock, and
his order robe and quickly tiptoed back down the stairs.

"he's never going to trust us again," harry heard dumbledore say.

"albus you had to keep julia a secret. not just for harry's sake but for hers,"
said mcgonagall trying to comfort the headmaster.

"maybe someone should talk to him," voiced a concerned lupin.

"no one's going to be able to talk with him now professor. he's been betrayed by
the only family he has ever known when all he's ever done was love us.
you best leave it for tomorrow morning," to harry's surprise his best friend ron
had just spoke those words, but they weren't enough to keep harry from
leaving. he threw on his robe then his cloak and quietly slipped out the door.
moments later he was flying high over london, he flew for almost an hour
until he landed in the back yard of a familiar house. harry landed in the shadows
and stayed there for several minutes, keeping his invisibility cloak
on. mad eye might be crazy but he knew what he was doing because harry soon saw
two death eaters land in the middle of the back yard.

"why do we patrol this muggle house again?" said one of the death eaters.

"just in case those muggles related to potter show up," said the other who was
looking around.

"they're not coming back, look they got sheets on the furniture. the house hasn't
been lived in for several months," complained the death eater.

"lord voldemort wants to be sure so that's why we check every now and then.
besides it's nice to get out of the forest, that place creeps me out," said
the death eater who looked right at harry.

"you ain't kidding . . . well we probably could stop in at the hog's head before
we go back to the forest," the death eater began to mount his broom. the
other death eater continued to stare at the area where harry stood. harry had
slowly pulled out his wand and had it pointing at the death eater just in
case.

"sure you can buy me a butterbeer," said the death eater as he turned around and
mounted his broom. once they were gone harry waited another half an hour
before moving. he slowly crept up to the sliding glass doors and pointed his wand
at them.

"alohomora," he whispered. he heard the clicking of the door unlock and pulled it
open and quickly stepped in. he closed the curtains so that no one could
see into the house. he finally took off the invisibility cloak and stood for a
moment in the dinning room.

"lumos minimus," a small light appeared at the end of his wand. harry couldn't
believe he was back in the durley's house but he knew no one would look for
him here. everything had sheets over it. the house had an eerie feeling to it and
for a moment harry considered flying to the leaky caldron. he slowly
walked into the hallway leading to the front door. he stopped for a moment and
looked at the now much smaller door of the cupboard under the stairs. he
leaned against the opposite wall and slowly slid down it until he was sitting on
the floor facing the cupboard.

"all those years i was trying to get out and now here i am trying to get back in,"
whispered harry to himself. he reached forward and opened the door, it
looked as though no one had cleaned it since he last occupied it those six years
ago. harry took out his wand and pointed it to the little cupboard. "scourgify."
the cobwebs and dust bunnies vanished and the cupboard looked bran new again.
harry squeezed himself into the small space and closed the door.

as he sat with his knees in his chest a strange feeling overcame him. for the
first time in years harry didn't feel like the boy who lived, he felt like
harry the boy who no one noticed. a sensation he had wished to feel so many times
in these last years. he thought it strange how this small space, which
was his sanctuary as a small boy, would become it again in his young adult life.
his thoughts then drifted back to julia. as harry went over all the events
in the last couple of months everything seemed to make much more sense. he then
thought about what he might have said if julia was awake. would he have
yelled at her too? harry began to feel disgusted with himself. it seems that
whenever some new piece of information came crashing down on him his instinct
was to run. but what else was he to do, he never had a mentor or a real parent to
teach him otherwise, all he had was his raw emotions and his gut instinct.
they had served him well up to this point. what if something happened to julia
while he was gone? harry now cursed himself for only thinking about his
needs. he wouldn't be mad at julia when she woke up. harry had the feeling that
she was kept away by dumbledore. but what if she didn't wake up? this thought
now loomed in harry's mind. what if he lost one more person he could call family?
he drove the thought out, some how he could feel that julia was going
to be okay. harry decided to get some rest, he curled into a ball and put the
invisibility cloak over him just incase any one wandered in. his last thoughts
were about the new family he might have, an aunt that would actually love and care
for him and a home he could go to any time he needed. to an outsider
it might seem ironic that in a place where harry only found misery and despair,
hope would blossom and a chance to finally have what harry has dreamed
of all his life. a family.

chapter 22 : an unforeseen show down

a/n - so i guess the database craching not only lost the last three chapters but
the reviews for them as well. if you have the time i'd greatly apperciate
it if you'd drop a review for them. or just write one big review for this chapter
which i posted last night. i hope you enjoy and as always, i can never
thank you all enough for your support.

chapter 22: an unforeseen show down

harry awoke the next morning to the sounds of children playing in the snow. it
took him a moment to remember where he was. he peered out of the vents of
the cupboard to see if anyone might be in the hall. he slowly pushed the door open
and peeked his head out, which was still covered by the cloak. satisfied
that no one was there harry let the cloak fall off him. he stood up and stretched
out all the knots in his body from being cramped up in a small space.
even thought he felt a little sore physically he felt mentally refreshed, but more
importantly he felt hungry. he slowly walked to the front door and watched
out the windows as children threw snowballs at each other. as he breathed against
the glass he saw his breath and suddenly realized just how cold it must
have been in the house. the robe really does work, he thought as he went to the
dining room and grabbed his broom from under the table. he took one last
look at the house then quietly slipped the invisibility cloak back on an escaped
out the back door.

the leaky caldron was almost empty as harry walked in. only a couple people at the
bar and two suspicions characters at a table. he kept the hood on his
order robe up so no one could clearly see his face. he walked up to the bartender
to see if they were serving food.

"excuse me," he said. "are you serving food?"

"only the lunch menu," said the bartender as he handed harry the piece of paper
with the lunch options on it. harry looked at it quickly then handed it
back.

"can i get the soup and sandwich, with tomato soup and a ham sandwich," said
harry.

"anything to drink?" asked the bartender who was writing down the order.

"uh yeah, can i have a butterbeer," said harry. the bartender grabbed a bottle
from under the counter then popped the top in front of him. harry took the
drink then headed to one of the tables. he leaned his broom against one of the
chairs then took a seat. after several moments he could hear the two men
suspicious men talking.

"so how do we know he's leaving the house?" said one of the men.

"one of our men in the ministry called him and made up some emergency," giggled
the other man. "i'm guessing he should be leaving the ministry about now,
and bella will be waiting." harry started to become much more interested in the
conversation. he leaned back in his chair to hear them better.

"i'm surprised she's doing it, i would think something like this is beneath her,"
said the first man.

"you know what i heard," said the second man. "i heard it was an order straight
from the top," whispered the man. harry slowly scooted his chair back to
hear them.

"you mean," the first man paused then lowered his voice even more. "lord
voldemort." harry almost fell out of his chair trying to hear them. but he didn't
hear a response from the other man so he assumed he must have nodded or something.

"and all because his son is a friend of potters," said the second man. harry
didn't need any more information. he jumped out of his chair grabbed his broom
and ran out the door, throwing money at the bartender as he left.

harry jumped on his broom and pushed as hard as he could. if he was right then
those men were talking about mr. weasley, who might be a good wizard but
he was no match for bellatrix. as he flew, someone's voice broke into his head.

"any body at grimmauld!" yelled rosie. "arthur is being followed and he can't
shake them!" just as harry was about to answer he heard the voice of mad eye.

"where is he lass?" harry was wondering why he could hear moody, when someone else
answered.

"we're on our way back from getting hermione, where is he?" came the voice of
tonks.

"he just went by grimmauld place and is heading for the park two blocks up," said
a very concerned rosie. harry could begin to see rosie in the distance.
"he's in the park cutting threw to wilshire . . . no wait . . . he's being
attacked!" harry just passed rosie and was heading into a dive straight for
bellatrix who had just shown herself to mr. weasley. harry took of his cloak and
threw it on mr. weasley as he jumped off and tackled bellatrix to the
ground. as he tumbled on the ground he could still hear everyone talking through
rosie.

"rosie, what's happening?!" asked tonks.

"i don't know, someone came out of nowhere and tackled bellatrix . . . i think
it's � yes it's harry!" harry got to his feet and pulled out his wand.

"voldemorts not here to protect you now!" spat harry. in the background parts of
mr. weasley could be seen as he fumbled to try and get the cloak off of
himself.
"insolent boy!" she hissed. "stupefy!"

"protego maximus!" shouted harry. "petrificus totalus!" bellatrix jumped to the

ground to get out of the way. they were in a bit of a clearing before they
got to the end of the park. the only things that harry could use to shield himself
were the trees behind him and behind those trees was wilshire street
and harry didn't want any muggles to get hurt.

"my my my, baby potter knows a few more spells," taunted bellatrix as she stood.

"i know enough to kill you and voldemort," said harry in a vicious tone.

"how dare you speak his name," she yelled. "incarcerous!"

"expelliarmus!" yelled harry as he hit the ground avoiding her spell. her wand
flew out of her hand, but her reaction time was remarkable.

"accio wand!"

"impedimenta!" yelled harry at her wand. the wand now stopped in mid air and ever
so slightly crept a few centimeters a second. bellatrix gave harry a dirty
look then sprinted to the wand. harry also sprinted towards the wand,
"impedimenta!" he shouted at bellatrix but she dove out of the way and towards her
wand.

"reducto!" screamed bellatrix as she haphazardly aimed. harry didn't have to leave
his feet to get out of the way but the debris from the tree and bushes
knocked him down along with bellatrix. he tried to get up but realized a branch
had pinned him down. "you putt up a good fight potter but i've been trained
by the dark lord himself and no one can beat me," she laughed. "now to teach you a
lesson . . . crucio!" just as harry began to prepare himself for pain
deflection a large brown wing shielded his face.

"don't worry harry help is on the way," said rosie as she flew off.

"wingardium leviosa!" said an irate bellatrix. harry's body flew up into the air
and then flew backwards through the new opening in the brush. he landed
with a thud on his back in the middle of the road. he could here the screeching of
tires and looked to see a car about to run over him. but just as the
car was about to hit, it was lifted off the ground and moved high in the air.
harry could hear bellatrix cackling as he frantically looked to his left
and right for his wand.

"it's no use potter, this muggle car will come crashing down on you before you
could say one word," she had an evil smile across her face. harry could hear
the people in the car screaming for help. all the muggles along the street were
froze in fear as they saw a car hovering twenty feet above him. he noticed
his wand lying several inches from bellatrix's feet. he might have a chance to
call it then stop the car. he looked back up at her. "say 'hi' to your parents
for me!"

"accio wand!" the wand flew over to harry but as he pointed up at the car he knew
it was too late. he braced himself for the impact but none came, he slowly
looked up at the car and saw it mere inches from him. it then slowly moved away
from him and was placed on the street.

"what the �"

"bellatrix!" yelled a voice from down the street.

"julia!" yelled a livid bellatrix. harry quickly looked to the other end of the
street to see his aunt in her white pajama's slowly walking towards them.
there was something different about her, a glow so to speak.

"leave him alone!" she said, her voice also a little different.

"or what?!" taunted bellatrix.

"stupefy! expelliarmus!" shouted julia. the spells were cast so fast harry didn't
know how any one could avoid them. bellatrix got a shield up in time for
the stunning spell but both charms were so powerful that the shield was gone after
the first one hit. bellatrix's wand flew out of her hand and down the
street. muggles were now running screaming for help, some jumped out of their cars
and left them in the road.

"accio wand!" cried bellatrix who jumped behind a car so julia couldn't get her.
harry slowly started to move when he heard julia in his head.

"don't move! she's completely forgotten about you and moving would remind her that
you're close enough to hurt," julia's voice sounded normal again.

"stupefy maximus!" bellatrix popped up from behind the car. julia dropped to the
ground to avoid the spell. bellatrix pointed her wand at a little muggle
girl who was running away with her mother. the girl was quickly pulled over to
bellatrix who pointed her wand at the child's head. "one more step and this
muggle brat will die!" julia stood up from behind the car and began to walk
towards bellatrix again.

"you don't want to do that!" her voice sounded different again.

"and why is that?" bellatrix backed up slowly with the little girl crying in her
arms.

"because if i have to i will kill you," julia's voice echoed. she began to walk
past harry who was completely shocked by the glow he was seeing emanate
from his aunt. he then looked over at bellatrix who looked completely scared.
bellatrix whispered something and with in a matter of moments the little
girl was shot up in the air. julia reacted quickly. "mobilicorpus!" the little
girls body now gracefully glided down over to her mother. harry stood up
and noticed bellatrix was gone. he was about to say something to julia when he
noticed her closing her eye and concentrating on something.

"harry when i say 'now', produce a shield," whispered julia. but before harry
could ask why, she shouted. "now!"

"protego!"

"cunctor hora!" harry could feel the vibrations of her voice as it echoed all
around them. she opened her eyes and looked around. "are you okay?" her voice
back to normal.

"yeah i'm fine," breathed harry as he looked around. nothing was moving, not even
the wind, everything had stopped, muggles in half sprint, birds in mid
flight, everything was still. harry looked up at his aunt. "what did you do?"

"she made sure we could clean up after that death eater," came the annoying voice
of cornelius fudge. who was storming up towards them with many aurors
and people from the ministry. "it should only take a half hour to fix everything,"
he said as people began to point their wands and put things and people
back in place.

"i can't hold the spell for much longer cornelius, you have ten minutes. i'll send
up sparks when i have to take it off. come on harry let's get back to
grimmauld place," said julia as she began to head in the direction of the park.
the stopped and picked up harry's broom and cloak. mr. weasley was frozen
in place with the cloak still draped around him. harry was about to grab it when
julia stopped him.

"don't touch him harry, not while he's suspended," julia seemed weaker then before
and there was a seriousness in her tone that worried harry.

"julia, what did you do?" he asked hoping she would give him a straight answer.

"let's just say time is on hold for a moment," she smiled weakly at him. there was
an awkward moment as they continued to walk.

"when did you wake up?" harry asked trying to lighten the mood.

"i can't answer that question," she said.

"why? does it have something to do with why you were glowing and why you sounded
like your were in a trance?" harry felt bad for pushing her when he could
see she was losing strength as they walked but he was sick of people hiding things
from him.

"harry i will answer your question but will you let it wait until tomorrow? i need
to rest," she stumbled as she talked. harry grabbed her arm and began
to help her, she was a little bit more heavy then hermione mostly because she was
just as tall as harry, around six feet.

"will you answer one question for me?" harry needed to hear it from julia before
he'd completely believe it. "are you really my aunt?"

"i �" she fell to the ground, her strength quickly slipping away. harry pulled her
up to the space where the grimmauld steps would appear. "send up the
sparks," she whispered. harry pointed his wand into the air and sent up several
sparks, after a moment he saw sparks fly up where the auror's where.

"they sent back sparks," he said. he could see julia try and concentrate again.

"pergo hora," she whispered. as her eyes closed, the door to grimmauld place
opened. all of the order started to charge out the door but stopped just as
suddenly as they saw harry sitting on the ground holding julia in his arms.

"what in the name of merlin is going on," huffed moody.

"i'll explain everything once we're inside the house," came the voice of
dumbledore who was walking with fudge towards the house. moments later everyone
was seated in the living room, including draco, padraig, ron, ginny and hermione.
harry had taken julia back up to her room. then he came back to see everyone
waiting on him, hermione gave him the only smile as he took a seat next to her.

"now can someone explain what happened?" asked fudge.

"i believe rosie can tell the majority of the story," said dumbledore who pointed
to rosie perched on a chair.

"a bird?! albus have you gone daft?" said fudge.

"i'll tell him who's daft," said rosie. this caused all the children to giggle.

"i believe i can tell you the story up to a point and then harry can take over,"
said mr. weasley. "you see someone from the ministry called me this morning
saying they needed me to come in. so i went down to the ministry but no one was
there, i figured they had solved the problem and just failed to leave a
note. on my way back, rosie noticed someone following me and informed me i should
try to lose them. but as i cut through the park, bellatrix lestrange
appeared and began to attack. i dodged the first round and as i pulled out my wand
a cloak fell over me," he glanced at harry and then grabbed the cloak
and handed it to him.

"so harry what happened next," asked fudge.

"well sir, i tackled bellatrix to the ground we dueled for a bit and i realized
the street was behind the park so i tried to avoid hiding behind the trees,
but she used the reducto charm and i got out of the way but it blew a whole
through the trees and bushes," harry paused to see if fudge believed him. everyone
seemed eager to hear what harry had to say.

"well go on," said fudge.

"she threw me into the street where i almost was run over by a car," hermione's
hand instinctively grabbed harry's. "but she thought crushing me was a better
solution and lifted the car up with the muggles still inside. just before she
dropped it i called for my wand, which i lost when i was tossed in the air
and as i pointed up to the car i knew i couldn't stop it. so i braced myself," he
was getting frustrated with telling the story. if he had to go to court
again, because he was under the age for practicing magic, just for trying to save
some one he was going to explode.

"is that when julia appeared?" asked dumbledore

"yes, she stopped the car and . . . "harry was about to mention the glow and her
voice being weird but decided against it. "she and bellatrix started to
duel, julia was better and bellatrix knew it so she took a muggle hostage and just
as julia was getting close to bellatrix the hostage was shot up into
the air. julia got her, but in the process lost bellatrix. after that, julia
performed that spell which made time stop," there was a collective gasp in
the living room.

"well," fudge looked worried. "harry i can't thank you enough," for a second harry
thought he was dream. did fudge just thank him? "i know it's against
the rules for you to practice outside of hogwarts but you were risking your life
against a very powerful wizard and you were doing it to save someone else.
i don't think we'll need any investigation into this matter further," said fudge.
harry couldn't believe it, for the first time people were on his side.

"i'm glad we could clear things up so quickly. would the students please excuse
themselves while the rest of us talk with the minister," asked dumbledore.
harry avoided eye contact with him and left the room, followed by the others. the
doors closed behind them, harry started to head to his room when ginny
stopped him.
"don't you want to know what they're talking about?" asked ginny.

"the door's closed!" smirked draco.

"that's never stopped us before," she smiled and ran to her room.

"where is she going?" asked padraig.

"i believe she's going to get fred and georges extendable ears," said ron.

"extendable what?" asked draco.

"ears," said ginny who had three in her hand. "harry, hermione share this one.
draco you and padraig share this one and ron you and i will use this one."
she tiptoed by the door and placed the other end of the strings. everyone gathered
together to hear what was going on.

"i don't doubt the sorting hat alastor," came the voice of fudge.

"then why can't you give us more man power, we're going to be up against every
death eater and loyalist to voldemort," said mad eye.

"we're already spreading ourselves thin alastor, we have auror's missing, ministry
workers not coming to work for fear they might get hurt and you expect
us to provide you with an army?" fudge seemed more worried then annoyed. harry was
surprised that he believed the story.

"well then, how many people can you provide?" asked lupin.

"maybe twenty auror's and thirty security personal," said fudge.

"that's only fifty people," gasped mcgonagall.

"we're talking about hundreds minister," said an angry moody.

"alastor we can't throw all of our resources into this . . . what if you lose?
we'll need some people left to protect the community," fudge was now getting
upset.

"if you don't give us the people we will lose!" roared moody.

"alastor, calm yourself," came the voice of dumbledore.

"we wont have anyone albus," exclaimed moody.

"we'll have the students," said dumbledore.

"yeah 400 fighting and about 250 protecting hogwarts that's still no match for
what we're going to face! you're asking these kids to sign they're own death
certificate!" shouted moody. everyone in the hall nervously looked at each other.
harry decided to voice what everyone was thinking.

"we're in trouble."

chapter 23 : the prophcey of julia potter

a/n - first off, i'm so sorry for not updating in so long. a family problem came
up and i had to leave very quickly. everything is okay now, but that is
why you haven't heard anything from me in a while. i'm postings these two chapters
because they were done before i left. i probably wont post again for
another week or so, just because i need to settle back in. second, thank you all
for your kind reviews and emails asking if i was okay. don't worry i wont
stop writing until this story is over, it just might take a little longer. thanks
again for all the support! much love, me.

chapter 23: the prophecy of julia potter

the house was very eerie the next day. mad eye was mad no matter what anyone did,
lupin was making list after list of any people he might know, mrs. weasley
would cry every hour on the hour and dumbledore was standing out in the back yard
for several hours just watching the clouds. the twins promised the others
they would talk about what happened at the meeting but they wanted to put a half-
day in at the shop and wouldn�t return for another hour. so the group
gathered in julia�s room hoping she would wake up and have an idea about what to
do. draco had managed to sit next to ginny and they were having a pleasant
discussion about quidditch. hermione was sitting next to harry but she was
instructing padraig on his wand technique.

�it�s lev-e-osa . . . not lev-e-osa,� said hermione who instructed padraig as he

tried to levitate a pillow.

�bloody hell that brings back memories,� said ron as he nudged harry.

�huh . . . oh yeah,� said harry, who was obviously in another world.

�how are you doing anyway? i mean this new information has kinda hit us hard and i
didn�t know if you wanted to talk about the other night. cause i�m here
if ya need to talk,� ron said awkwardly. he might not be the best person to talk
to about these things but harry appreciated his effort.

�thanks, but i�ve decided to wait and hear julia�s side of things before i
completely believe it,� said harry as he looked at her sleeping form.

�and if she is your aunt,� asked hermione.

�then i finally i will have a family,� he smiled weakly. hermione was going to
push him and asked about how he felt towards dumbledore but thought against
it. she had discovered what happened when the order stopped by her house looking
for him that night. even though they were more then friends now, hermione
knew it was going to take a while for harry to adjust to having her as someone to
go to even with the harder things.

�water,� came a soft whisper.

�she�s awake,� said padraig as he ran to the bathroom to grab a cup of water. the
group slowly gathered around her bed.

�julia?� harry said softly. �how are you feeling?� padraig handed her the water
and after she took several sips she cleared her throat.

�much better thank you,� she looked around at everyone. �you must be bored if
you�re hanging out watching a sleeping woman,� her joke fell flat as they
continued to give her serious looks.

�something has happened,� started ginny.

�after the attack yesterday fudge came over to talk with dumbledore about the
battle,� chipped in ron.

�it didn�t go very well,� said hermione.

�we�re pretty much done for,� said draco, who received several dirty looks. �what,
its true.�

�okay what exactly happened,� she said as she began to lift herself into a sitting
position. they all started to talk except harry who just stared at her.
julia took notice and raised her hands for the others to stop. �harry, what
happened?�

�it seems that the ministry has spread itself thin. fudge thinks he can only spare
fifty people for the fight. twenty aurors and thirty security people,�
he finished and looked down.

�so moody is mad and has pretty much condemned us to death,� said ron.

�my mum�s crying every hour,� said ginny.

�and dumbledore has been standing outside for hours staring at the sky,� finished
padraig. julia laughed at the forwardness.

�then it�s up to us then,� she said. �we�ll hold a da meeting the first week we�re
back. train every week and as we get closer, train even more, the only
way to beat them is to be more prepared then they are. don�t worry,� she said as
she looked at their grim faces. �i�ll figure something out.�

�kids, lunch!� yelled mr. weasley from down stairs.

�go on ahead, i�ll be down in a few minutes,� she said as she slowly moved her
legs off the bed.

�you go, i want to talk to her,� whispered harry to hermione.

�are you going to be okay,� her big brown eyes staring back up at him made his
heart skip a beat. he grabbed her and gave her a quick hug.

�i�ll be fine,� he whispered. �love you.�

�love you too,� she said as she left. the door closed and julia noticed harry was
still in the room.

�what�s bothering you harry?� asked julia in a sweet tone.

�is it true,� was all harry could say as he looked at her. �are you really my
aunt?� julia stared at harry for a moment then regained her composure.

�it�s true,� she breathed. �james was my older brother,� she looked down at the
bed sheets.

�why did no one tell me about you?� asked harry.

�because they knew you�d try and come find me,� she said. �when your parents died,
i was only eleven and i couldn�t take care of you. then when i was eighteen
i asked if i could come get you but by then you were only three years away from
hogwarts and dumbledore didn�t want to disrupt the charm from your mother�s
sacrifice.�

�all he ever does is lie and cause me misery,� said harry as he turned away from
julia.

�you don�t mean that,� julia could see how hurt harry was.

�i do!� he quickly turned back. �he�s kept things from me all my life. i didn�t
know who i was until eleven. then i find out i have a godfather when i�m
thirteen. at the age of fifteen i�m told there is a prophecy about me and now at
sixteen . . . sixteen! i find out i do have family. what�s next, at twenty
one dumbledore is going tell me my parents didn�t die?�

�harry, all anyone has ever done was think of you and what�s best for you. a lot
of people care about you and they might have made some mistakes but so
do most people. no one�s perfect harry . . . not even your parents,� julia wish
she hadn�t said the last line but she needed harry to concentrate on the
battle not his anger with dumbledore. harry stood in silence for a moment, hurt
that julia would speak of his parents in such a way, but somewhere in the
back of his head he knew she was right. for some reason he always held the
headmaster to a higher standard.

�look, i�ll forgive dumbledore, i just don�t want to do it now. let me have a day
or two,� said harry.

�you can have as much time as you need, just as long as you remember that love was
the motivation,� she smiled. �you�ve gone through a lot more then most
people do in a lifetime and sometimes because we know of your greatness, we forget
that you�re only still a young man. a young man who�s had to grow up
and discover things on his own and not having any adult to help him. so just
remember that we all love you no matter what we do or say.� harry nodded his
head and was about to open his mouth when julia continued. �now, before you ask me
about yesterday i owe a lot of people that same explanation which i
will give later today.� harry laughed at his aunt.

�fair enough, but now that you�re up and about i have a feeling you�ll be the main
attraction at lunch,� he smiled.

�ah well, attention is something we potters are used too,� she winked at him but
saw harry�s mood shift as he realized what she said. �you okay?�

�yeah it�s just . . . sirius was the closet thing i had when it came to family and
now ��

�and now you have me,� she slowly got up and walked over to him. �now you might
think me foolish for promising this but i�m going to anyway,� she put her
hands on his shoulders. �i promise, i�ll always be here. not even voldemort
himself can take me away.� the conviction in her voice was so strong and true
that harry believed her immediately.

�come, let�s get you some food . . . aunt julia,� he smiled.

�now do you need to say aunt or can we just stick with julia?� she eyed him.

�julia�s just fine,� he smiled as he offered his arm. the two walked into the
kitchen and everyone could see just how happy harry was. he sat down across
from julia and next to hermione. he stared at both women who were the new loves of
his life and decided that life wasn�t so cruel after all.

�okay, we got some questions for you,� said ron as the kids slowly gather around
julia.

�watch out dear they�ve been waiting to do this all semester,� said mcgonagall
from the other end of the table. julia laughed then looked at the group.

�are you really harry�s aunt?� asked padraig.

�yes. i was james�s younger sister,� she smiled.

�where did you go to school?� asked hermione.

�i went to one of the oldest schools in europe. older then hogwarts ��

�you went to kylemore!� gasped hermione.

�kylemore? where is that?� asked ginny.

�it�s one of the oldest places where magic was taught. it was a sacred place for
the druids, one of the earliest forms of wizards. a physical school wasn�t
present until 1864. a muggle by the name of mitchel henry built a castle on the
teaching grounds. the wizards were so angry that they frightened him into
leaving and now the muggles in the town believe the castle is a convent school run
by nuns. when it�s really the best magical school in the world,� finished
draco, who was wondering why everyone was staring at him. �what, you didn�t think
granger was the only person who knew things did you?�

�the male version of hermione does exist,� said ron as he stared at draco.

�well at least grainger has brains,� spat draco. �my point was it�s very hard to
get into kylemore, only a few malfoy�s have been able to do it. my father
expected me to make it,� draco drifted off.

�what�s so special about it?� asked padraig.

�it only takes the top one hundred wizards and witches from around the world every
year,� explained julia.

�but you�re only eleven when you start, so how do they know?� asked the little boy
with the strawberry blonde hair.

�that�s the thing, no one knows how they know but they�ve produced so many great
wizards and witches that the king aurthur auror academy in dublin reserves
three seats for students from kylemore,� explained julia.

�did you get into the academy?� asked ginny.

�i did and that�s why you didn�t see me play in the world cup game for ireland,�
she glanced at fred and george who had walked in while she was talking.

�why don�t we give julia some breathing room,� said madam pomfrey as she walked
over to check her patient. �julia you should go back to bed, i�ll have dobby
bring up lunch for you.� julia knew better then to try and argue with madam
pomfrey. she said her goodbyes and went back up stairs.

�let�s all go into the living room,� smiled fred.

�afraid not mr. weasley,� said mcgonagall from the other end of the table. �the
headmaster is in a meeting.�

�well where can we go?� frowned ron. harry, who had been lost in thought about his
feelings towards dumbledore, looked out the window to the back yard.
snow was falling and the ground was covered with half a foot of it. he then
started thinking about how at hogwarts they had the room of requirement and
wouldn�t it be nice if they had something like that here, harry began to get an
idea.

�you guys go to my room and i�ll call you in fifteen minutes,� said harry as he
waved dobby over to him. �hermione, could you stay i�ll need your help,�
he said as the rest of the kids left the kitchen.

�what�s he doing?� asked an irritated draco as the group entered harry�s room.

�it will be interesting that�s for sure,� said ron as he plopped down on the bed.

�so is harry still angry at dumbledore?� asked fred.

�i hope so,� said ron as he stared up at the ceiling. �harry�s lived his whole
life thinking he had no one and now he�s almost a graduated from hogwarts
and he finds out he does have family. just think of all that time he didn�t have
to spend with the dursley�s.�

�the who?� asked draco.

�the dursley�s, were the only family harry thought he had. they treated him
horribly. they kept him in a cupboard and ��

�ginny!� snapped ron. �it�s none of his business,� he gave draco a look.

�that�s it!� barked draco who slowly started to walk over to ron. �when will you
get it that i�m on your side in this fight!�

�you might be on our side in this fight but i don�t have to like it,� said ron as
he got up from the bed.

�you guys knock it off,� said ginny as she saw the two of them get closer.

�can�t stand the fact a slytherin is helping you?� asked draco as he stared down
ron.

�no, because snape�s been putting his life on the line a lot longer then you. i
just don�t think we need help from pure blood elitists to defeat the hero
of your kind,� said ron with a smile.

�and what do i have to do to prove myself, put my life on the line to save someone
like granger. is that noble enough for a gryffindor?� said draco between
gritted teeth.

�it�s a start,� said ron as his hands started to close in a fist. ginny saw this
and stepped in.

�ron stop it,� she said while stepping in between them.

�ginny why are you always defending him?� said ron as he looked at his sister.
�i�m not defending him?� she was completely caught off guard.

�then why are you so accommodating then?� grilled ron.

�maybe she learned some manners,� injected draco.

�shut up!� yelled ron, who then looked at ginny.

�ron, i just don�t want you to get in a fight that�s all, if you want to pummel
him back at school i don�t care but while mum and dad are downstairs we
should try and be civil,� said ginny who turned to see the hurt in draco�s eyes.
but before she could say another word hermione stepped into the room.

�we�re ready,� she smiled and disappeared. the group made they�re way back down to
the kitchen and into the back yard, which now had a tent set up in the
middle of it. harry smiled broadly as the group approached.

�you expect all of us to fit in there?� asked a cold draco.

�you�ll see just go in,� smiled harry. they entered to see that the tent had
doubled in size and the floor was covered with rugs and skins of all different
sizes and colors. in the middle was a roaring fire. the top of the tent had a
whole that allowed the smoke to escape. pillows were also all around the
tent and a tray of hot chocolate and butterbeer was set up at the back. padraig
went and grabbed a cup of hot chocolate then grabbed a pillow and sat down
around the fire. the rest of the group joined in and soon everyone was sitting
around the fire waiting for fred and george to start talking. draco had
made sure to avoid sitting next to ginny. he sat between padraig and hermione and
made sure not to give her eye contact.

�so obviously you�ve all heard the part about us getting killed,� started george.

�because we noticed a shadow crept by the door after you left and placed something
on the floor,� continued fred.

�now once you stopped listening the meeting got really interesting,� smiled
george.

�it turns out that harry isn�t the only potter with a prophecy. after moody was
done exploding. fudge mentioned something about julia and her destiny to
lead this battle into victory,� said fred.

�then dumbledore said that the prophecy was not clear on what her role was. he was
about to say something else but stopped and said it wasn�t his place
to give the information away.� george stopped and took a sip of his drink. �so
then lupin and the rest of the order start asking question about what fudge
was talking about.�

�dumbledore was able to side step the issue of course and got back to asking the
minister what his plans were in case we lose the battle,� said fred.

�but an auror stepped in and told the minister they had to leave,� added george.

�and that was it,� frowned fred.

�that would explain what happened yesterday,� whispered harry out loud.
�explain what?� asked draco who heard harry.

�well . . . there was something i didn�t tell fudge,� harry paused again.

�go on,� said ron.

�julia . . . she was glowing and her voice sounded different. not quit an echo but
different,� he looked at the fire as he spoke. �it must have something
to do with the prophecy.� they continued to talk for several hours. everyone had
his or her own theory as to what julia�s prophecy might be. before too
long mrs. wealsey came outside to collect them all and escort them to the living
room where everyone was waiting.

�seems to be a theme this holiday. meetings in the living room that is,� winked
ron as they entered. julia was sitting in an armchair up front and had dumbledore
and rosie on either side of her.

�okay, we�re all here now, will some one come clean with what�s going on,� asked
lupin who seemed to be just as annoyed as moody looked.

�i first want to apologies for keeping this to myself,� said julia as she slowly
stood from her chair.

�it�s a little late for apologies,� snapped mad eye.

�we could all be in more danger because voldemort knows you�re alive and well
probably double his efforts in finding this place,� said lupin.

�voldemort does not know about this prophecy,� said julia as she began to get mad.

�how do you know?� asked mrs. weasley, trying to step in.

�because my father and dumbledore were the only people to hear it,� she said a bit
more calmly.

�why don�t you let julia finish her story,� spoke dumbledore. everyone settled
down and waited for julia to speak.

�thank you,� she said. �many years ago, long before the prophecy about harry was
told, before i was even born. there was a prophecy made about the potter
family by cassandra trelawney,� she paused and looked at dumbledore who revealed
his pensieve. a ghostly figure that resembled harry�s professor rose from
the liquid.

�the very old and noble house of potter will be tested. many of it�s members will
it lose in these trying times. for the dark lord grows stronger but his
control grows weaker. the head of the potter family stands before me today. your
youngest will become one of the greatest of them all. only the heir of
the potter family will match they�re strength. the heir will be born in the year
of great sorrow. a year were lives will be lost and hope will seem all
but gone . . . but the heir of potter will hold true and rise up to greatness.
greatness that can only be achieved if the youngest potter can protect the
heir and throw light into the growing shadows that will surround them . . . the
potter family will be tested and strong must it�s last remaining members
be,� the liquid ghost slowly slipped back into the pensieve. the room remained
quiet for some time, the only people who didn�t seem affected by the prediction
was harry and julia who both looked at each other.
�now you know what i have prepared for all my life,� she whispered. harry nodded
then took a deep breath.

�they�re only two things to focus on now,� he said. �getting the students ready .
. . and figuring out what to do with the elements the sorting hat spoke
of.�

chapter 24 : dumbledore's army takes form

chapter 24: dumbledore's army takes form

it felt weird to be back at hogwarts, even harry had to admit that he felt a
strange sense of pride by being in the order and didn't want to share the secret
with anyone. but after a few days seeing the medallions peek out from behind
people's robes reminded him that everyone at the school was important and
that he shouldn't refuse anyone's help. another strange event to come out of the
holiday was the closeness harry felt towards padraig and draco. they had
been present when harry confronted dumbledore about julia and when moody
proclaimed everyone's death, things harry would have liked them not to see but
so far they hadn't told a soul about anything that happened at grimmauld place.
the only thing worrying harry, besides the battle, was that ron was beginning
to suspect something between draco and ginny. to harry's knowledge, ginny still
hadn't done anything with draco. they were still friends but he could recognize
the tension between them, the same tension he imagine everyone saw between he and
hermione. a smile crept across his face. just the thought of hermione
could make him feel better, they had still yet to have some quality time alone but
harry was determined to fix that this semester. all these thoughts swam
around in his head as he sat by the fire in their common room, when suddenly he
felt something warm over his chest. a moment later ron walked out of his
room.

"harry did you feel that?" he asked.

"yeah what was � the medallions!" harry quickly dug into his shirt and pulled the
circle piece of silver out. he looked at the chest of hogwarts on the
one side then flipped it over. "saturday � 3pm � quidditch stadium," was written
on the back.

"finally!" smiled ron. the portrait to the common room flung open and hermione
came rushing in.

"did you guys feel that?" she asked out of breath.

"yeah, it's the medallion," explained ron.

"oh that's right," she exclaimed and pulled out the item. "saturday � 3pm �
quidditch stadium," she read out loud. "must be a big meeting if it's at the
quidditch pitch."

"i'm guessing it's all the people fighting in the actual battle. well have to ask
a third year when they're meeting is," said harry as he stood up. "hermione
where is your bag?"

"blast i left it in the library. will you come with me to go get it," she smiled.

"sure," said harry as he put his shoes back on.

"yeah find any excuses to go snogging," teased ron.

"oh ron why don't you just go snog with luna. you know you want to," grinned
hermione as harry lead her out of the portrait.

"i just might!" he yelled after them. once they were in the hallway harry slung
his arm around hermione's shoulder just to make sure everyone knew she was
his. they reached the library and found hermione's bag but as she was packing
everything up harry noticed a row of books that lead to a dead end. he grabbed
her and her bag and trapped them at the end of the row.

"i haven't had any time alone with you in a while," he flashed his boyish smile at
her.

"now mr. potter you don't expect me to shack up with you here in the library do
you?" she gave him a seductive smile and just as harry was about to lean
in and kiss her brains out hermione put her hand on his lips. "there is one thing
i do want to talk with you about," her mood now serious. harry pulled
back thinking he had done something wrong.

"what is it?" he asked.

"well its just � you see i've � oh bother," hermione was getting frustrated with
herself which to harry made her even cutter.

"you can tell me anything hermione," he said as he cupped her chin.

"i've never had a boyfriend before," she blurted out.

"i've never had a girlfriend before," said harry, as he realized she might try and
count cho. "i don't count cho, she wasn't a real girlfriend, nothing
like this."

"well i'm not very experienced when it come to these," she paused. "things."

"what things?" harry was clueless.

"the physical part of the relationship," she whispered.

"oh," harry now understood where hermione was going. he himself had never thought
beyond kissing and maybe going under her shirt but nothing else. "well
i don't know what to do either," he laughed, this made hermione relax a little.

"would you mind if we waited to um � well you know � until i'm ready," harry could
see the fear in hermione's eyes. did she really think he was going to
be mad?

"hermione i'll wait forever if it makes you happy. that's all i care about, you
and i being happy together," he smiled at her.

"good," she gave a relieved smile. "now i do believe you owe me a kiss." before
she could finish her sentence harry's lips had captured hers. he felt a
rush of energy consume him. he kissed her harder pressing her against the
bookshelf, her hands were weaving their way around his head. and just as the
rush began to die down, the kiss began to become sweeter until they were just
barley touching each other.

"how was that," harry said out of breath.

"wonderful," said hermione who was also out of breath. they could hear people
coming closer, which caused them to try and make it appear that they weren't
making out just moments before. they quickly left the library and noticed people
giving them looks which made them both laugh historically once they were
in the hallway.

"come on we should get back," said harry as he took hermione's hand. they were
about to turn a corner when they heard hush voices talking.

"why do you need his approval?" harry and hermione both gave each other looks and
then peaked around the edge of the wall to see draco and ginny, in what
appeared to be a heated discussion.

"draco it's not that simple . . . he's still adjusting to harry dating hermione.
adding this i think would just make him become a bigger nutter then he
already is," whispered ginny. hermione could see the guilt in harry's face at
ginny's words.

"he's had the whole holiday to get use to it, plus he seems to have gotten over
granger with that loony lovegood," said draco as he turned away from her.
"ginny," his voice now full of tenderness. "i've been fed hatred all my life, and
when it was just me and my mum � when she didn't have to put on a show
for my father. she changed � no more hatred . . . just us," he stopped and harry
could tell he was getting upset from thinking about his mother.

"draco i want to be with you," pleaded ginny.

"then be with me," he turned around. ginny's eyes glistened in the candle light of
the hallway. she was on the verge of tears.

"how can i?! even if i told ron and he was fine with it we'd still have to hide �
just like we're doing now. nothing will change, you'll still have to prove
you're a slytherin while i'll keep having to act like i hate you . . . i don't
hate you," her whispers mixed with small sobs. both harry and hermione felt
horrible for watching these two people but the heartbreak of not being with the
one you care about was what kept them there. however, the next thing they
saw would completely catch them by surprise. draco slowly walked up to ginny and
cupped her face between his hands. he slowly leaned down and gave her
a very tender and loving kiss.

"once the battle is over i promise no more hiding no more late night talks, just
us," he whispered. a small smile appeared on ginny's face as she looked
up at draco.

"i'll talk with harry and hermione and see if they have any idea's," she said as
she began to walk in the direction of the people she had just mentioned.
harry and hermione quickly walked away and down another hall away and back towards
the library.

"what are we gonna do?" said hermione nervously.

"there is no way ron is going to take this well," said harry as he began to pace.

"we have to do something. she's gonna be waiting for us when we get back," said
hermione who also started to pace. they continued to do this for another
moment until harry stopped.

"i got an idea come on," he grabbed her hand and started racing towards gryffindor
tower. moments later they were safely in they're own common room and
plopped down on the couch.

"so what was your plan?" asked hermione turning to face harry.

"this was it," hermione gave him a look. "getting in here before she got back."
hermione rolled her eyes and stood up. "what? it worked didn't it?"

"harry she's gonna to ask us at some point. whether its tonight or tomorrow she'll
find a way," hermione lowered her voice as she spoke and then pointed
to ron's door. "i mean the only way we can help her is to try and convince ron
that draco isn't as bad as he thinks." it was harry's turn to give hermione
a look.

"malfoy is never going to give up teasing ron and vice versa," said harry as he
ruffled his hair with one hand.

"look if we start giving subtle hints that malfoy has gotten better then maybe ron
will start to see it," said hermione.

"well when will all of us be in a place that we can point these things out?" as
harry finished the question he could already see the wheels turning in hermione's
head.

"saturday."

hermione had been right and the next day ginny had been able to confront them
about her problem. they told her they're plan and said they'd try and break
the news as much as possible but if ron confronted ginny then she was on her own.
the following day both hermione and harry had notes slipped to them from
one of the slytherins. draco had written to thank them both for their help. soon
it was saturday morning and hermione and harry both found themselves to
be very nervous. ron of course was oblivious to everything except luna.

"you know if we got luna to help us with the plan we might have a better shot,"
said hermione as they walked to the quiddicth pitch.

"let's try and talk with her after the meeting," said harry. they entered the
pitch to find what seemed like half the school, they were also several teachers
and aurors present. after a few minute julia who was standing in the middle blew
her whistle.

"every body listen up! can i have the 7th years up at the front, 6th year behind
them, 5th behind them and the 4th years in the back? i just want you clumped
together no need to form lines yet just make sure there is space between the
different years!" she shouted. once they had done that she pulled out a piece
of parchment. "the following people please follow madam hooch to the other end of
the stadium," but before she started reading a seventh year ravenclaw
raised their hand.

"what for julia?" asked the girl.

"oh those who i call will be part of the air squadron, lead by madam hooch," as
she finished talking whispers erupted around the field. julia soon began
reading off names.

"cho chang!"
"roger davies!"

"zacharias smith!"

"she must be going by year?" said ron as he leaned over to harry. before to long
they were hearing names of their classmates.

"draco malfoy!"

"oh no! not him!" complained ron.

"you know ron, he's actually a good flyer. it will help to have him in the air,"
explained hermione.

"yeah, but it also means i don't have to deal with him on the ground," smiled ron.

"dean thomas!"

"why haven't they called us?" asked ron.

"they probably want us on the ground to face voldemort," said hermione.

"ginny weasley!"

"yeah! make mum and dad proud!" shouted ron. julia finished reading the names and
about a hundred had been picked to fly. that group left and walked to
the other end with madam hooch.

"now some of you are probably wondering how can we meet in such a large group?
there is a spell over the pitch right now that stops time once your enter.
so when you leave make sure you go back to what you were doing. only minutes will
have passed in real time," she said as she took another piece of parchment
out. "now you all will be fighting on the ground and will be the biggest line of
defense we have. there will be three lines of defense. the first row will
be composed of mostly 7th and 6th years who are strangest in defense against the
dark arts. the row behind them will compose of 5th and 4th years who are
also strong in defense. the last row, which will be the closest to the castle,
will be a mixed group of people who are the strongest in charms. they will
be providing recovery fire for the squadrons in the air. in each row will be five
groups of twenty. each group will have at least three adults assigned
to it," she paused and looked at the confused faces of the students. "let me try
this again," she waved her wand and a giant chalkboard appeared. the chalk
began to draw the forbidden forest on the left of the board and hogwarts on the
right with a large field in the middle. it then drew three vertical lines
in the field. it also drew a group that was named "the other army."

"three rows," she pointed to them then the chalk erased everything and drew five
blocks, one on top of the other, so they were in a line. "in each row are
five groups," julia continued to explain. the chalk erased the blocks and drew
five dots down and then added three dots to the back of the original five.
making it five groups of four. "in each group you will line up in this formation.
do we understand?" the group nodded their heads. "okay professors will
you help me get everyone in they're position."

by the time the trio made it back to gryffindor tower everyone was exhausted. they
had spent an hour practicing getting into their formation. julia would
have everyone go sit down and take a break and after a minute or so she'd blow her
whistle and they'd have to run to positions. harry had been put in the
first row with the group in the very middle. he was even in the very first row in
the middle for his group, which was lead by julia of course. ron had
been to harry's right in the same position. his group was lead by lupin. hermione
was to harry's left also in the same position. her group was lead by
moody.

"so dumbledore isn't even going to be on the field," said ron as he sat down in
the armchair.

"i think it's a good idea to have him and mcgonagall be up in the tower so they
can watch over everything and command us with a complete view of the battle
field," said hermione as she snuggled into harry's arms.

"i gotta tell you i was impressed with the air squad. malfoy was really taking
control and helping everyone keep formation," said harry who was trying to
drop in hints about draco.

"i just think it's gonna be weird hearing voices coming out of this thing," ron
said as he held up the medallion.

"you know ginny and draco will make great captains," smiled hermione taking from
harry's cue.

"at least i'm not in moody's group," said ron who was still not paying attention
to harry and hermione.

"ron!" snapped hermione. "haven't you been listening to anything we've said?"

"no what did you say?" asked ron in an honest manner.

"oh never mind," she said as she got up and headed for her bedroom. "i'm going to
freshen up before dinner," and with that she closed the door.

"what did i do?" asked ron.

"nothing you don't normally do," laughed harry. ron just shrugged his shoulders
then got up from his chair.

"hey harry, have you noticed anything going on between ginny and draco?" ron was
standing behind harry now and luckily for harry he didn't see his face.

"i don't know. why do you ask?" harry tried to sound as casual as possible.

"oh i don't know, just a feeling when i see them together. probably nothing. i'm
gonna wash up."

"all right see you down stair," said harry who was still frozen to the couch.
harry quickly washed up then headed down stairs hoping to catch hermione,
ginny and luna before ron made his way down stairs. he entered the great hall and
immediately spotted luna, still reading her magazines upside down.

"luna," he said as he made his way over to her. "are you still meeting with ron
tonight to study?"

"why yes," she said with a smirk on her face.

"do you actually study or do you make out the whole time?" said harry in a rather
forward manner.
"unfortunately only studying," she sighed.

"well you're gonna need to start dropping hints tonight about draco. i think ron
is beginning to suspect something," he said.

"all right, any ideas?" asked luna.

"where are you studying? maybe hermione and i can hide some where and feed you
questions," said harry as he looked around the great hall for hermione.

"library in the back there is only one table though," she said trying to think.
"but there are some book shelves you can hide behind."

"okay hermione and i will leave right before you guys do," he said getting up from
the table.

"i'll make sure to sit facing you," she smiled. harry got up and made his way over
to the gryffindor table. he told hermione about the plan and just as
they were finishing desert they got up and headed to the library.

"do you think this will work?" asked hermione as they walked behind the bookshelf.

"i hope so," he said as he watched the door. they waited for several more minutes
until harry caught sight of luna and ron walking in. "here they come,"
he whispered. harry and hermione scooted back behind the bookshelf and waited.

"so you're in the second row right behind my group?" asked ron has he put his
books down.

"yes, professor flitwick is our group leader," she smiled. "so i'll make sure no
one sneaks up on you." they both laughed as they opened they're books.

"luna . . . what do you think of malfoy?" ron's back was turned from harry and
hermione. harry slowly peaked out from behind the shelf. luna slowly looked
behind ron to see what harry was motioning for. he was giving her the thumbs up,
which luna started doing.

"what are you doing?" asked ron who was watching her slowly raise her thumb.

"umm i think he's," she slowly raised her thumb. harry smacked his forehead and as
luna started to look at him she noticed an arm yank him back behind a
shelf. hermione now appeared and she started to write with her wand in mid air.
"malfoy has started to come around."

"i � i think malfoy has started to come around," said luna who's eyes darted back
and forth from hermione to ron.

"what are you looking at?" asked ron who started to turn around. hermione jumped
back behind the bookshelf, before he could see her.

"nothing i was just thinking," said luna quickly.

"so you think malfoy's starting to come around?" asked ron in a confused manner.
hermione peaked around the corner again and nodded her head. luna followed
the motion and also started to nod her head.

"yeess, yes i do," she smiled back at ron.

"i think harry and hermione feel the same way. i don't know what's gotten into
them. i feel like they're trying to make malfoy look like a saint," ron took
a heavy sigh then looked straight at luna. "i can't wait for things to get back to
normal."

"what do you mean back to normal?" asked luna. harry now started to lean out from
behind the bookshelf.

"when hermione final sees that if she stays with harry she's going to get hurt."

chapter 25 : the elements of love

chapter 25: the elements of love

�ron what are you talking about?� luna could see harry getting angry behind ron.

�what if lestrange knew that harry and hermione were together. they wouldn�t have
let her go, they would have taken her and expected harry to come after
them as he always does. he doesn�t realize the trouble he�s putting hermione in,�
ron looked down at his book.

�ron i�m sure harry thought about all that before asking her out,� said luna who
was still keeping an eye on harry.

�yeah but there are things he doesn�t know about. hermione�s parents had to go
into hiding this summer, and that�s why she was at grimmauld place � i just
don�t want her to get hurt.� as ron finished speaking harry slowly began to step
back behind the bookshelf and away from hermione. memories of the night
voldemort controlled him came flooding back.

�harry what is it,� whispered hermione. but as she reached out to touch him harry
backed away. he pulled an object out from behind his back. it was the
invisibility cloak. harry quickly threw it on and ran out of the library as fast
as he could. he didn�t stop until he was safely in his room with the door
locked behind him. he took the cloak off and turned to see his reflection in the
mirror.

�how could you have been so selfish? you knew she would be a target once you
started dating,� came the reflection in the mirror.

�i thought i could protect her. i thought if we faced voldemort together ��

�voldemort is your problem not hers. not only are you asking hermione and ron to
fight in this battle but you want them to fight your battle too?�

�no!� said harry as he looked down. when he looked back up at the mirror it was
back to normal. he stood there for a moment looking at his scar, he turned
away in anger and proceeded to go to bed. ever since that night with voldemort
harry had been getting restful nights. he assumed voldemort didn�t want
to try anything until he could have figured out what was going on. harry soon
found sleep but he would not find rest as he began to hear voices.

�what have are spies told us about this girl?� came the raspy voice of voldemort.

�they found out that the teachers regard her as the brightest witch in school.
they even say she�ll be one of the greatest witches of her time,� came the
shaky voice of wormtail.
�a mudblood will never be as powerful as a pureblood,� snapped voldemort.

�have you been able to get back into potters head master?� asked wormtail.

�no,� said the dark lord grimly. �i think this mudblood might be blocking me, but
i don�t think its conscience. i think it has to do with how she feels
towards potter,� said voldemort.

�sir, i don�t understand?� whispered wormtail.

�its ancient magic, the kind dumbledore used to protect potter for so long at that
muggle house,� said voldemort dismissively. �there is a book which contains
ancient spells and their purpose. there is only one copy remaining and it belongs
to . . . � the images started to disappear. harry tried to concentrate
on voldemort as hard as he could but he couldn�t reconnect to him. as harry began
to wake up he heard a knock on his door.

�harry you in there,� came the sweet voice of hermione. he slowly got out of bed
and headed for the door. just as his hand was reaching for the door he
stopped.

�ron�s right,� whispered harry to himself. he pulled back his hand and leaned his
head against the door.

�harry please let me in,� said hermione leaning closer to the door. �look i don�t
care what the risk is! we can do this together!� harry turned his back
to the door and slowly slid down it. his thoughts lingering on what lupin had said
that night in the hospital.

�hermione chose to be your friend and she chose to stand by you through everything
you�ve gone through.�

�what if you�re wrong lupin?� whispered harry. �what if love isn�t enough to
protect her?� harry crawled back into bed and decided to try and sleep again.
maybe tomorrow he could figure out what to do.

harry stayed in his room for most of the day, getting homework done and trying to
figure out what to do about hermione. throughout the day both she and
ron would knock on his door asking him if he would talk to them. it was late
afternoon by the time he sneaked out of his room. several of the books that
sirius left hermione were lying on the ground. harry grabbed the faded green one
on top and headed for an empty classroom. he needed to get out of his
room and take his mind off everything. he opened the book to take a look as he
walked down the hall. the first page was written in a language harry didn�t
understand. it dawned on him that this was the book hermione had been talking
about before she got hurt. he changed his direction and headed for julia�s
classroom hoping she might be in her office.

�julia are you here?� he shouted as he entered her classroom.

�yes harry no need to shout i�m in my office,� said julia in his head.

�sorry,� he responded back. harry made his way up to the office and placed the
faded green book in front of julia. �before you and hermione got hurt we
wanted to show you this book." as harry finished speaking he noticed that julia
had stopped writing and was looking at the book as if it were alive.
"rosie," called julia. the bird flew over to the desk and looked at the book.

"that's it," harry heard rosie exclaim.

"that's what?" asked a very confused harry.

"this is the book we've been searching for harry. if i'm right this book as the
spell the sorting hat was talking about. rosie go get dumbledore and have
him come down here right away." the bird took off and left julia alone with harry.

"so you understand the language it's written in?" asked harry as he watched julia
open the book.

"of course. it's written in irish gaelic," said julia as she kept looking at the
book.

"julia," harry's tone changing a little. "do you think i should not go out with
hermione any more?"

"don't tell me you've stopped loving her. i see the two of you at the gryffindor
table all the time, i couldn't picture a happier couple."

"oh no it's not that," harry pause trying to find the right words. "i'm worried
she's going to get hurt because voldemort knows i love her."

"oh," julia seemed a little less concerned. "i believe lupin had a talk with you
in the hospital while the two of us were sleeping did he not?"

"yes," said harry.

"so what's changed? why do you feel worried again?"

"well, hermione and i were in the library and we overheard ron talking about how
he couldn't wait for hermione to realize that if she stays with me she's
going to get hurt." harry couldn't make eye contact as he told the story.

"so then what are you worried about, voldemort trying to hurt hermione or hermione
leaving you?" asked julia. harry had to think for a moment, maybe that
was it, maybe he was just assuming hermione would leave him. but she hadn't so
far.

"i guess you're right, maybe i was more scared about hermione leaving," smiled
harry.

"i'm going to let you in on a little secret harry. it wasn't a big surprise to
anyone who knows you that you choose the strongest, smartest and feistiest
witch here. to use a muggle expression - you guys were made for each other," the
young witch smiled at her nephew. harry smiled to himself. it was good
to have a family member again, he thought. just then an old wizard appeared at the
door.

�you sent for me julia,� asked dumbledore. harry stiffened as he heard the old
wizards voice.

"yes. i think harry found the book we were looking for," said julia.

"might i ask where you found it?"

"it was one of the books that sirius left hermione," said harry as he looked
dumbledore in the eye.

"can you translate it julia?"

"i can, but it's going to take some time. the spell is simple but the instructions
are a little vague," said julia still looking at the book.

"i will cover your classes tomorrow so you can focus on translating. it's
imperative that we perform the spell as soon as possible," the seriousness in
dumbledore's tone caught harry's attention.

"why is it so important that we perform the spell so soon?" asked harry.

"you see harry, just like all things in life, love can fluctuate. some times it's
high and some times it's low. just like the ocean," said dumbledore as
he eyed harry. "if i'm not mistaken you and mr. weasley are not on the best of
terms today."

"how did you know," said harry sounding defensive.

"well i actually figured it out harry," said julia from behind the book. "you
asked me about why i was glowing that day i stopped bellatrix. i never really
answered your question because once i told everyone about my prophecy i thought
you'd figure it out."

"figure what out?" asked a confused harry.

"we're connected harry. when you're hurt i'll know, when you're angry i'll feel it
and yes even when your happy i'll know it. i woke up that day because
you were in danger. that glow you saw was a side effect of a spell dumbledore
performed on you and i when you were just a baby," said julia.

"have you always been able to do that," asked harry. julia didn't answer for a
moment.

"the first time i felt it, was when you were six. i sent an owl to dumbledore and
he explained that dudley had beaten you up and threw you in a closet.
every time i felt something i would send an owl and every time it was because you
were sad or hurt. it wasn't until you were in hogwarts that i felt true
happiness," she paused again. "and deep sadness from you. i knew voldemort had
come back after your forth year because i never felt you as scared as you
were that night. when dumbledore told me about it i immediately sped up my
training at the academy."

"how come i don't feel you?" asked harry.

"because the spell was meant for julia to protect you in times of great danger, a
side effect of the spell is that she can also feel extreme emotion from
you. yesterday julia felt a great sadness and she asked ms. granger about it
today," explained dumbledore.

"she told me you overheard something that wasn't very kind, but you didn't stick
around to hear the rest," julia rose from her desk and looked harry in
the eye.

"ron said he couldn't wait for hermione to break up with me. what more did i need
to hear?"
"that ron didn't mean it," said julia

"what?"

"mr. weasley figured out you and ms. granger were hiding so he thought that by
saying something that would upset you, you'd come out of hiding." dumbledore
slowly put his hand on harry's shoulder.

"hermione's been trying to tell you all day but you wouldn't come out of your
room," smiled julia.

"so that means � "

"you should go talk with ron and hermione," julia continued. harry began to leave
the classroom.

"harry, you still haven't forgiven dumbledore. and he wanted me to talk to

hermione to make sure we could clear up the mess for you," harry heard julia
say in his head. harry paused and looked back at the old wizard. he opened his
mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"i'm sorry," was all harry could think of as he left the classroom. he slowly
walked back to gryffindor tower hoping that julia and dumbledore hadn't been
leading him on. he walked into the common room to find hermione and ron both doing
homework.

"ron," said harry softly.

"harry?" said hermione standing up from the desk.

"look mate i didn't mean it, i was just trying to get a rise out of you. you know
hoping you'd come out of hiding. i mean i figured you might pop me one
but i couldn't think of anything else to say," ron said nervously. harry could see
in his eyes that ron meant what he said.

"so all those things you said?" asked harry.

"complete rubbish. look i told you before. if it couldn't be me then i'm glad it's
you. besides i don't think my girlfriend would appreciate me thinking
of another girl," smiled ron.

"girlfriend?"

"ron's been keeping a secret from us," said hermione who took a step closer to
harry. "he and luna have been dating since we got back from winter break."

"that's great!" exclaimed harry.

"you missed the tongue lashing ron received from luna," smiled hermione.

"oh don't remind me. once hermione came out from behind the bookshelf she looked
as thought she was about to kill me and so did luna. so i quickly had to
explain that i figured out you two were feeding her info about malfoy � by the way
hermione you never told me why you two were doing it in the first place,"
ron gave her a look.

"we'll explain all that after dinner," she said trying to side step the question.
"so then we're okay?" asked harry still trying to figure everything out.

"as long as you are mate," smiled ron.

"great because i have some things to tell you," said harry as he put his arms over
both ron and hermione. harry explained what he learned in julia's office,
about the book and julia's strange glow.

"so it was in that faded green book?" said hermione as they walked to the great
hall.

"yes, julia said it was the book they've been looking for," said harry.

"do you suppose this spell is similar to the one dumbledore did on you and julia?"
asked ron.

"it must be. it will link the four of us together and we'll probably experience
some of the things julia has," hermione said with excitement.

"you're awfully anxious to perform this spell?" noticed ron.

"well, i've read about the kind of spell it is. word has it that merlin himself
performed this type of spell with king arthur," said hermione. the group
entered the great hall. harry remained quiet for most of the evening, he kept
thinking about dumbledore's face as he left julia's office.

"harry what is it?" asked hermione who had noticed harry's silence.

"julia reminded me that i still haven't forgiven dumbledore. every time i see him
i take a different hallway or dart into a classroom just to avoid him,"
said harry as he played with his food.

"well maybe it's time to forgive him," suggested hermione. "you never know how
much time you have with a person before they're gone." harry could tell hermione
wanted him to forgive dumbledore. he slowly rose from the table and headed to the
teachers table, but as he approached he noticed the teachers whispering
back and forth to each other.

"what's wrong?" asked harry as he stepped towards the table.

"dementors," said dumbledore. "they're coming."

chapter 26 : the da is tested

a/n - so i got a werid review on another site the other day. the person reads the
first chapter then says. "i read shippers before i read stories and i
found out this was a harry/hermione shipper. when will you people get it that jkr
has already said ron and hermione are getting together."

the first thing that went through my head was. why waste the time in leaving a
review. and two i don't remember jkr saying ron and hermione were getting
together. in fact, her web site says that she doesn't want to say because she
likes the arguments.

here's my question for all of you. do you guys think there is a chance for harry
and hermione to get together in the books? if so give me your theories
as to why.
chapter 26: the da is tested

"coming? as in right now?" asked a worried harry.

"yes, rosie has just informed julia that they're massing at voldemorts camp and
slowly heading this way," a worried look on dumbledore's face. "madam pomfrey
do the children not fighting have those pendants you created?'

"yes headmaster," said the nurse.

"good, activate them now," instructed the wizard. madam pomfrey took out a pendant
and began to chant. harry turned around to see all the children not fighting
begin to fall asleep. the rest of the students looked up towards the teacher's
table to see what was going on. dumbledore stood and walked around the table
to address the children.

"it seems tonight will be our first test as an army. at this moment dementors are
heading towards the castle." several screams echoed the hall. "i would
ask that anyone who feels confident that they can conjure a patronus please follow
julia to the main hall. the rest of you remain here while the teachers
and i split you up into groups." to harry's surprise people didn't run or scream
everyone took out their wands and stood ready to fight. he along with
julia began to head towards the main hall. several of the da members followed.

"dobby, fetch harry's and my broom," she asked the house elf as they left the
great hall.

"right, here's the plan. ron, ginny, draco, dean, susan and zacharias head to the
astronomy tower. hermione, luna, cho, neville, seamus and hannah guard
the doors. ron will be covering your group from above," said julia as she took her
broom from dobby. dobby also brought order robes for harry, ron, hermione
and julia.

"thanks dobby," said harry as he put his robe on and started to head for the door.

"don't worry harry potter, dobby will be helping," squeaked the house elf. harry
looked back at hermione and ron.
"don't worry we'll be okay," said ron in a shaky voice. hermione walked up to
harry and gave him a kiss.

"remember that while you're out there," she whispered in his ear. harry gave her
his boyish grin as he walked out side to mount his broom. once he and julia
took off the two groups just stood there for a moment.

"you heard julia, let's take our places outside," said hermione as she took out
her wand.

"right, my group lets get up to that tower," said ron as they ran up towards the
tower. it was an eerie night, the moon was fighting to come out from behind
the clouds and the forest, which normally was restless, was calm as a graveyard.
harry and julia slowly flew above the castle so they could see over the
treetops. the air began to get cold and harry knew the dementors were getting
closer.

"rosie what's going on," said julia out loud. they soon saw the bird flying from
the direction of hagrid's hut.
"they're coming from over there," panted rosie. julia and harry slowly flew
towards hagrid's hut.

"ron they're coming from over there," shouted harry as he flew over ron's group.
ron leaned over the tower wall to shout out to hermione.

"hermione!"

"over there?" she pointed to where harry and julia were flying.

"yeah!" yelled ron. hermione watch harry with intense concentration. she knew that
once he started to fight her group would be next.

"wands at the ready everyone. stick close to each other," hermione instructed.

harry and julia continued to watch the treetops for any movement. it wasn't until
the moon finally was able to shine that harry saw the hundred or so dementors
heading towards them.

"steady harry," whispered julia. "when i say now we'll both shout out the spell.
we'll probably only get one shout before they try to circle us. take you're
patronus and circle it to cover us from behind." the dementors approach was
methodically slow and as they got closer they began to spread out.

"ready harry," whispered julia, who's broom was starting to freeze.

"ready," breathed harry.

"now!"

"expecto patronum!" they both shouted. a stag and eagle leaped out of they're
wands and began to take out dementors. but as harry swung his around it began
to disappear from hitting so many dementors.

"expecto patronum!" harry shouted, but in the back of his mind he feared they
might be out numbered. hermione watched as dementors charged at harry and
julia, but once one group was taken care of another group would move in and each
time getting closer and closer to julia and harry.

"hermione!" shouted ron from the tower. "look!" he was pointing to a group of
dementors that now appeared to the right of the one's already attacking. this
new group was heading straight for the astronomy tower.

"wait for this new group to get closer," said hermione as everyone began to point
their wands up towards the sky.

"but hermione what about harry and julia," asked neville.

"i'll worry about them you worry about that new group," said hermione.

"yeah but hermione what about � hermione?" neville turned around to see hermione
sprinting towards hagrid's hut.

"harry to your left!" shouted julia as she attacked another group of dementors.
both julia and harry were getting weaker and weaker. harry began to hear
his mother's scream but fought to stay awake.

" expecto patronum!" he shouted but his stag only took out a few dementors. julia
was now shouting out the spell every second as the dementors closed in
on them.

"harry!" julia shouted. he had almost fallen off his broom. hermione was now right
underneath harry and julia and saw harry almost fall from his broom.
she jumped into the pen next to hagrid�s hut and bowed to buckbeak, but as she
mounted the creature she felt someone watching her. she looked over her
shoulder to see a pair of snake eye's stair at her from the forest.

"voldemort," hermione whispered to herself. she quickly got buckbeak off the
ground and headed towards harry. as she got closer she pulled out her wand
and cleared her throat.

"expecto patronum!" she yelled. an otter came hopping out of her wand and smacked
enough dementors that allowed hermione to fly in and get julia and harry.

"harry get on," she said as she grabbed him and pulled him onto buckbeak. she then
helped julia get on just as the demntors were coming back for another
attack. "let's go buckbeak!"

"hermione you're flying," breathed a weak harry.

"don't remind me," she said as they got closer towards the school. hermione landed
the creature and let neville help julia and harry off.

"hermione look!" cried luna, who was pointing in the direction of the lake.
hermione looked over to see dementors hovering on the other side of the lake.

"they're just staying there," said cho. meanwhile up on the tower ron and his
group were also starting to lose their battle.

"everybody let's get in a circle, that way they can't get us from behind," shouted
ron.

"good idea weasley," said draco as he took his place next to ron.

"malfoy we're not going to make it," whispered ron. hermione's group continued to
try and help ron's but they would only get a few dementors here and there.

"luna find a house elf and have them get some chocolate for julia and harry, also
have them find the other groups and have them meet me at the edge of the
lake�"

"hermione!" yelled ron from the tower. hermione looked up to see ron's group was
almost surrounded. she got buckbeak in the air and again shouted the spell.
the dementors were pushed back far enough for her to get up to the tower.

"granger let me on," draco yelled as she flew over them. hermione quickly landed
buckbeak and helped draco get on.

"head straight for them when i say now we'll both shout out the spell, then we'll
turn around and come back for another pass," said draco has they took
off. hermione made buckbeak gather up some speed then started to charge the
dementors.

"now."

"expecto patronum!" the otter and snake took out so many dementors that when they
turned around for another go the dementors were gone.

"ron, get your group down here," said hermione as they flew past the tower. she
landed buckbeak and slid off the creature and headed straight for harry
who was being fed chocolate by winky.

"winky where are the others?" panted hermione.

"they're coming miss," she said while handing julia some chocolate.

"ron. we have to get down to the lake," hermione said as ron and his group
appeared at the door.

"why what's going on at the lake?" asked harry as he slowly stood up.

"that's what's going on," julia pointed to the growing group of dementors that
were waiting on the other side of the lake. the two groups slowly walked
down to the lake. minutes later the rest of the school joined them. dumbledore
stood in the middle along with harry , hermione, ron and julia.

"when i say now i want everyone to shout out the spell," the headmaster
instructed. "no one move until i say so." the dementors finally started to move
but just as slow as before. harry was still weak and had to lean on hermione.

"hold my hand," she said and as harry did so he found more strength. hermione
looked over to the forest and saw the snake eyes looking straight at her.

"what is it?" asked a concerned harry.

"voldemort," she whispered. harry's muscles started to stiffen and hermione could
tell harry wanted to run over to the forest and face the wizard.

"not now harry. you'll have your time," came the weak voice of julia. the
dementors were getting closer and people started to get restless.

"steady," dumbledore said in a strong voice. ron grabbed luna's hand as did draco
with ginny's.

"wands at the ready!" dumbeldore shouted. in unison everyone's wand pointed

towards the lake, which was starting to freeze. dumbledore took a deep breath
and harry knew it was time.

"now!" in one glorious chorus the spell rang out into the night, but instead of
seeing a stag, eagle, otter, lion or snake all they saw was one patronus.
a griffin that stood four stories high was standing on the lake. the light
emanated from everyone's wand. the griffin took one step and gave out a war
like cry causing all of the dementors to flee. it then turned to its masters and
bowed before it disappeared. no one moved nor spoke for several moments
following, until a familiar laugh echoed through the air.

"voldemort!" harry scream as he started to sprint towards the forest. hermione and
ron were in close pursuit followed by julia and the rest of the school.

"come out and face me you coward!" harry screamed as he ran, but once he was close
to the forest the eyes were gone. only the faint sound of the laugh could
be heard. harry turned back towards his classmates and saw the worried look on
their faces.
"i'm not afraid," harry turned back towards the forest. "do you hear that! i'm not
afraifd!"

"neither are we harry," neville stepped forward and put his arm around harry.
"neither are we." the group slowly walked back into the castle. harry saw
lupin, moody, bill, charlie and tonks all talking by the door as they approached.

"the school is secure albus," grumbled moody.

"professor lupin did you see the patronus!" asked neville.

"i did, well done. all of you!" lupin smiled with pride at all the students, many
of whom he taught. many students were excited to see him and talked with
him as they walked back into the great hall.

"can all the professors and auror's please follow me?" dumbledore asked as they
all headed to the teachers table.

"the castle is secure sir, but i can't be sure about the grounds," huffed moody.

"bill, charlie and i were going sweep the edge of the forest and make sure there
aren�t an lingering dementors," said lupin.

"good. i think we'll keep the children in here tonight. just to be sure," said
dumbledore who looked tired.

"good idea. tonks and i will keep watch over the hall while the ghosts and house
elves patrols the rest of the castle," said moody.

"headmaster what about the other children," asked snape.

"we'll have to alter their memory's and make sure they're in bed before the other
children wake up tomorrow," madam pomfrey added.

"it's going to get harder and harder to fool them, especially if they're parents
begin to send owls asking what's going on at the school," said dumbledore.

"we'll just have to ask the ministry to keep any events like this one tonight out
of the papers," said julia as she watched house elves place bowls of chocolate
on the tables for the children.

an hour or so later the children were in sleeping bags and lying on the floor.
harry managed to get a spot next to hermione who was watching draco and ron
talk about different strategies for the battle.

"how long have they been talking?" asked harry and he leaned on his elbows to
watch.

"about twenty minute and counting," laughed hermione.

"has the conversation been civil?"

"very, they've even laughed a few times," yawned hermione. she laid her head back
down on the pillow and watched looked at harry. "he was watching me tonight,"
she said in a low voice. harry turned to look at hermione and he knew who she was
talking about.

"when did you notice?" harry also laid his head down.
"when i went to get buckbeak, i saw these menacing eye looking at me from the
forest and for the rest of the night i felt like i was being watched," hermione
shivered as she spoke. harry grabbed her hand and held it to his heart.

"don't worry, he's not after you �"

"no he's after us."

"what makes you say that?" asked harry.

"because together we're stronger then he is and once we perform that spell he'll
be after ron and julia too," whispered hermione. "but don't worry, i'm
not scared," she smiled.

"i know," harry smiled.

"when do you think julia will have the spell translated?"

"i don't know, dumbledore said he'd cover for her tomorrow while she did it," said
harry.

"that would be great! a defense class with dumbledore teaching, think of all the
things we could learn," hermione said as her eyes lit up. harry chuckled.

"it's always learning with you."

"yeah well one of the three of us should pay attention in class. otherwise we'd
all be dead by now. even when i was petrified i helped you figure out how
the basilisk moved around the castle," teased hermione.

"it's true i don't know where ron and i would be with out your help."

"brilliant weasley, just brilliant," came the voice of draco. harry and hermione
both laughed then closed their eyes. draco glanced over at them then to
ginny.

"weasley, is it weird to see potter and granger together," draco whispered as he

looks at a piece of parchment ron had drawn on to show draco several maneuvers
the air squadron should perform.

"it was weird at first but then it felt like they'd always been together," said
ron who was looking at a piece of parchment draco had drawn on. "why do
you fancy someone?"

"i do, but it's kinda complicated," said draco trying to change the subject.

"well does she like you," asked ron looking up from the parchment.

"yes."

"then what's the problem?" asked ron.

"see the thing is her brother doesn't like me much and i don't think he'd
approve," draco said.

"sounds like a big prat to me, but don't worry keep doing things like you did
tonight and i'm sure he'll see you're on the up and up," smiled ron. "well
i should probably get some rest, i'll have to hate you again in the morning," said
ron as he laid his head down.

"night weasel."

"night money bags."

chapter 27 : the bond is complete

chapter 27: the bond is complete

the great hall was uncommonly quiet the next morning. the students who hadn't
fought would ask questions here and there about what their friends had done
the night before. each student coming up with their own unique answer, but as
harry ate his breakfast he could tell that the students now understood just
how serious this battle might be. it was in their eye's now, as if they'd grown up
over night. this type of look was mostly in the older students but harry
could see some of the first, second and third years look away from their groups
and think and he knew what they were thinking about. the trio finished
their food and headed for class. even hermione and ron had that look about them
which harry thought strange since they had been through so much already,
but then again this battle would be nothing like what they've faced. everyone took
their seats and opened their books. a moment or two later the door opened
and all of the books closed themselves at the same time.

"you will not be needing your books today," said dumbledore as he walked to the
front of the room. "if you all could move up to the back of the class room
while i move the desks."

everyone did as instructed but instead of using his wand dumbledore waved his hand
and the desks began to move on their own. they neatly stacedk themselves
on the sides of the room. whispers began to spread across the class.

"is he going to teach us wand-less magic?" gasped hermione.

"your assumption ms. granger is correct," smiled dumbledore.

"how did he hear that," whispered ron.

"i hear a great many things mr. weasley. now if you'd all come forward we'll
begin," said dumbledore. the students slowly moved to the front were the
headmaster
stood. "to quote our dear professor hagrid, 'did you ever make anything happen,
anything you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared?'"

memories of that night came flooding back to harry; hagrid explaining that he was
a wizard, learning that his parents didn't die in a car accident, and
that he would be attending hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. harry
closed his eyes for a moment and remembered walking down diagon alley for
the first time. everything seemed so new and interesting but little did harry know
back then the burden he'd be carrying six years later.

"i believe you experienced something this past break, did you not mr. potter?"
dumbledore said as he eyed harry. it wasn't until hermione squeaked and grabbed
his hand that he understood what professor dumbledore was talking about.

"i called for my wand," harry said softly.

"but you called it by using the same charm a wizard would use if they had their
wand. today i will teacher you to call for you wand with out words or movement,
for i feel this will help all of you greatly in the battle." everyone began to
whisper until dumbledore cleared his throat. "please place your wands over
by me, then form a line five feat away."

"this is going to be amazing," hermione whispered with glee as they walked back
and formed a line.

"the first thing you have to understand about wand-less magic is that you need to
want the object you're calling. emotion plays a very important role in
this form of magic," dumbledore said as he paced back and forth. "it almost has to
be instinctive � crucio!"

with out warning harry felt an immense pain, but within seconds it was gone. harry
found himself on his hands and knees looking at the floor trying to catch
his breath. the group was in amazement and as harry looked around, he noticed
hermione was holding her wand and dumbledore wasn't. "what happened," he
asked as draco and ron helped him up. no one spoke but all eyes kept darting
between hermione and dumbledore.

"it would seem," dumbledore said quietly. "that ms.granger has mastered the art of
wand-less magic fairly quick. i'm sorry for any pain i might have caused
you harry."

"ron what happened?" asked harry trying to figure out what happened.

"i-uh-i dunno it happened so fast," ron said still in shock. "dumbledore used the
crucio spell on you and then hermione had her wand all of a sudden and
cried out the expelliarmus charm."

"ms.granger would you describe what you felt when you saw harry in pain?" asked
dumbledore.

"i don�t know. i guess i needed to stop it some how and the only way to do that
was with my wand," hermione said with her wand still in a death like grip.

"so the only thought you had was that you needed your wand," dumbledore said with
a mischievous smile. hermione slowly nodded. "let's see if harry can master
the same thing �" and just as harry could see dumbledore forming the words he
reached out his hand and his wand came snapping to it.

"expelliarmus!" cried harry. for the second time that day the class was stunned
with what they saw. the headmaster began to laugh as his wand came floating
back into his hand.

"very good harry. anticipation! this is the most important thing. if you begin to
anticipate what the person you're fighting will do then you can counter
before they strike. harry could tell in my mannerisms that i was about to perform
the crucio spell on ms.granger and acted," pride that oozed from dumbledore
as he spoke.

"but professor how can we study people we don't know?" asked draco.

"ah a good point mr. malfoy, we might not understand every person in the battle
but we know they're death eaters and that they have certain patterns that
they follow. that will be a lesson julia will teach next time the da meets." as if
on cue julia came bursting out of the office and ran down the small
flight of stairs towards dumbledore and the group.

"i got it!" she shouted. "but i need to know what the weather will be like
tonight."

"mostly cloudy," piped up hermione.

"what are you a weather man as well?" joked ron.

"some of us like to know the weather so we can pick out a correct outfit," she
shot back.

"what are you guys working on?" asked a confused julia.

"wand-less magic," said harry.

"can you do it?" asked ron. julia smiled at him and walked over and placed her
wand in his hand.

"hold on to is as tight as you can," she winked as she walked away. she then
turned towards the groups. "everyone ready?" the group shook their heads with
excitement. she stretched out her arm and a second later the wand was in her hand.

"weasel she told you to hold it," smirked draco.

"i did," ron exclaimed.

"you want to try draco," julia asked as she walked towards the group again.

"sure," he smiled with confidence as she placed the wand in his hand.

"ready?"

"ready," draco said as he gripped the wand with two hands but a moment later it
flew out of his grip and into julia's out stretched hand.

"you could be the strongest man in the world but i'd still get that wand," laughed
julia.

"and why is that julia?" asked the headmaster.

"because my need for the wand is greater then your need to hold it," explained
julia.

"now i want everyone to place their wands five feet in front of them and work on
having it come to you. i don't want to hear any sound while you do this.
i'll be back to check on you momentarily," said dumbledore as he and julia walked
towards her office. the students all did what they were told, no one
was going to mess around when it came to the headmasters instructions.
surprisingly neville was the next person to get his wand to come to him.

"how'd you do it?" whispered ron who was standing next to him.

"i don't know. i just thought about attacking the person that hurt my parents,"
neville trailed off. for a moment no one knew what to say until hermione
stepped forward.

"don't worry neville, you'll get her," a strange understanding past between
neville and hermione. at first harry didn't understand why but then realized
that hermione must still feel embarrassed that bellatrix got the best of her. he
made a mental note to watch hermione very carefully during the battle.

the rest of the day was very strange for harry. it seemed that anyone involved
with the da knew something harry didn't. they would keep glaring at him and
hermione. sometimes ron would mention some of the looks he would receive walking
down the hall but none of them could figure out why. as harry got ready
for bed that night he wondered why julia had not told him anything about the spell
and when they would perform it, but just as harry started to close his
eyes, dobby appeared at the foot of his bed.

"harry potter sir," squeaked the house elf. harry sat up with his wand in hand but
put the object down once he saw it was only dobby.

"dobby? what are you doing here?" he asked.

"dobby was told to come get harry potter and have him come down to the lake,"
smiled the house elf.

"why?" asked harry.

"dobby only knows that he is to give harry potter these clothes and ask him to
come down to the lake to meet dumbledore," the house elf started to head
for the door when harry noticed the white t-shirt and red shorts that were on his
chair.

"dobby, am i allowed to wear anything else besides the t-shirt and short?" harry
asked as he eyed the items.

"only wear what's on the chair harry potter," dobby said as he left the room.
harry quickly changed into the outfit and walked out of his room.

"well they have the gryffindor logo on them," he heard ron say as he walked into
their common room.

"harry what's going on?" asked hermione, whose shorts were rolled up a little and
revealed more of her legs.

"i don't know," harry said as he checked out his girlfriend. "but i'll guess we'll
find out once we head down to the lake. the trio briskly walked through
the halls of the castle hoping no one would see them. once they were outside they
noticed a large bonfire and the da standing in a horseshoe.

"well this is going to be embarrassing," ron laughed nervously. they continued to

walk down to the lake and into the middle of the large group. julia was
also wearing the white t-shirt and shorts while dumbledore, mcgonagall and snape
gathered around a table next to the fire. dumbledore slowly turned and
addressed them.

"i'm sorry for the lack of clothing but this ritual is normally done in the nude,"
smiled the headmaster.

"this is fine," ron laughed.

"this ritual was first done on king arthur, merlin, guinevere, and sir lancelot
hundreds of years ago. merlin knew that if he created this bond between
the four of them that arthur's reign of peace would last for many years.
unfortunately the only way to break this spell was if one of the members betrayed
arthur. as some of you may know, guinevere and lancelot both betrayed arthur with
their affair. merlin performed the ritual in front of arthur's brave
knights to show them how dedicated arthur was in his mission," dumbledore paused
for a moment. "that is why i asked all of you hear tonight, to witness
the commitment these four people have for the task before us."

dumbledore walked over to the four standing in the middle and began to arrange
them so hermione, julia and ron were in a triangle and harry stood in the
middle. harry had to his back to the fire and dumbledore and was looking right at
hermione. julia was to his right and ron to his left. dumbledore walked
around and whispered things in everyone's ear.

"harry," he said in a hushed voice. these three each have a line they must say.
once hermione has said her line then you must say this. 'and i am the element
that binds them all together.' then you will drink from the cup that i present to
you and once you finish it, all of you will say this, 'may these elements
of love guide and protect us until we walk with the souls that came before.' do
you understand harry?" asked a solemn dumbledore.

"yes professor," harry whispered.

"then let the ritual begin," shouted dumbledore. "i asked four of you to step
forward and speak for the character of those before us." harry was too scared
to move his head, this spell was a lot more serious then he thought. he soon saw
ginny standing behind hermione but julia and ron were standing right on
the edge of harry's vision so he could not see who stood behind them.

"who speaks for julia potter's character?" whispers began to circle through the
crowd.

"did he just say potter?"

"i wonder if she's related to harry?"

"i didn't think harry had any family," were several of the things harry heard
before dumbledore cleared his throat.

"remus lupin, speaks for julia potter's character," lupin said in a clear voice.
harry smiled and was glad that lupin was some how involved in the ritual.
he had become a father figure to him in some many ways this year. he hoped that
once the battle was over he could spend some quality time with lupin and
julia.

"who speaks for ronald weasley's character?" asked the old wizard. the group
became deathly quiet. harry wished he could see but still did not want to move
his head, but when he heard the next person's voice it took every ounce of
discipline not to look.

"draco malfoy speaks for ronald weasley's character," said draco. harry could only
imagine what ron's face must have looked like when he heard draco.

"who speaks for hermione granger's character?"

"ginevra weasley speaks for hermione granger's character."

"and finally who speaks for harry potter's character?" as dumbledore was saying
the question harry started to race through all his classmates until he heard
the person's voice and new it was the right choice.

"neville longbottom speaks for harry potters character."

"then step forwards and perform your duties," instructed dumbledore. neville
appeared in front of harry with a knife in his hand.

"have you palms face up," said a nervous neville.

"you're doing great neville thank you," whispered harry. those little words of
encouragement seemed to work and neville calmed down.

"this will only hurt for a moment," neville said right before cutting both the
insides of harry palms. harry winced a little but kept his palms up. then
neville stepped out of the circle along with the others. dumbledore walked over to
julia with a cup and asked her to let some of her blood drip in.

"i am the element bond by blood," said julia. dumbledore walked over to ron next
and had him do the same as julia.

"i am the element bond by choice," ron said with surprising clarity. dumbledore
then moved over to hermione.

"i am the element bond by destiny," hermione said as she let her blood drip into
the cup. the headmaster then turned towards harry and had him drip some
of his blood into the cup. electricity filled the air and harry could feel the
hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"and i am the element that binds them all together," said harry who was presented
with the cup. harry took a deep breath and began to drink it. it tasted
mostly like a sweet fruit drink to his surprise. once harry was done he handed the
cup back to dumbledore who exited the triangle. julia, ron and hermione
all clasped hands to create a circle around harry.

"may these elements of love guide and protect us until we walk with the souls that
came before," they said in once voice. for a moment nothing happened
until harry notice hermione's eyes were glowing. the white glow began to take over
her whole body and soon the glow began to transfer over to him. harry
had never felt such strength and energy before. soon all he could see was the
blinding white light that surrounded his group. he looked up and notice the
beam of light had shot up to the heavens. the clouds parted and for a moment harry
saw three figures looking down on him. it was his parents and sirius.

"don't worry harry," said his mother.

"we'll protect you," his father added.

"when the time is right," smiled sirius. a great sense of peace washed over harry
just before he passed out.

chapter 28 : the destiny of others

chapter 28: the destiny of others

for the past couple of months hogwarts had become a strange place. after the
ritual harry had woken up in the hospital wing along with ron, hermione and
julia. once everyone was up dumbledore did a few tests to see if the spell had
worked. he sent harry to the lake and had moody attack him. as soon as harry
felt the fear dumbledore could see the glow appear in ron, julia and hermione's
eyes. this new bond made things a little more interesting. they weren't
telepathic but the trio and julia could pick up on things and communicate them
with unbelievable speed. the best example was when ron would slip away and
try to meet with luna. every time they began to snog, luna would comment that
ron's eyes would glow for a moment. ron would come back to the common room
and try to act as if he just went to the library but every time he walked in harry
and hermione would make kissing noises just to poke fun. but the fun
would only last for a little while until they remembered why they had the bond in
the first place.

every saturday the da would meet to train and become more efficient and it was
beginning to show. they had recently begun to create mock scenarios and make
the groups figure out how to handle them. harry's group had some how become
surrounded by death eaters and the other four groups in his row had to figure
out how to help him but not break they're line. luna in the next row stepped her
group up to fill the gap where harry's group should have been then started
focusing completely on hitting the attackers until harry and his group could
retreat back. they didn't always do physical training, one of their meetings
was about defense for the castle and the army. dumbledore decided to have order
robes made up for everyone. but instead of the deep blue order color, dumbledore
instructed the house elves to create them by house colors and then make all the
teachers and adults silver. they also ordered extra brooms in case ones
were destroyed during the battle. moody and ron insisted that the air squadron was
key to a victory. all these things continued while the students tried
to focus on their studies but as the end of term began to slowly approach all
anyone could think of was the battle. the only break came when gryffindor
played ravenclaw for the quidditch cup.

"you feeling alright mate? you look a bit peekish," asked ron as he stuffed his
mouth with eggs.

"i didn't get much sleep last night," harry whispered as he played with his food.

"you were having some type of dream weren't you?" hermione asked.

"i can't explain it. it was like that dream i had in the fall but different. there
were people fighting all around me but i was flying around and dodging
most of it. then i saw myself standing in front of voldemort," harry paused for a
moment. "you two were standing behind me and we each were glowing a little
bit. then somehow i'm knocked off the broom and i look up to see that blinding
light again."

"sounds like julia had another vision," whispered hermione.

"i thought so too but have either of you felt her today? i can't," harry said in a
worried tone. he looked up at the teacher's table and didn't see her
there.

"she's probably getting some extra rest before the game harry. don't forget how
tired seers get after a vision," said hermione trying to calm harry down.

"yeah maybe you�re right," harry said in a more relaxed tone. hermione always did
know how to calm his fears if only for a moment.

"come on harry, grab some toast we should start to head down to the pitch," said
ron as he went over to the ravenclaw table to talk with luna.
"here," hermione said as she handed harry a napkin with a little breakfast
sandwich in side. "you play better when you've eaten," she smiled at him.

"thanks," he whispered softly. hermione had been nothing short of amazing this
whole year and harry felt bad he couldn't do more to show her how much he
appreciated all her support.

"hey," hermione placed her hand on his cheek and a faint glow accented her eyes.
"lets just focus on quidditch for the moment," she took out a piece of
paper that had some notes on it. "cho is probably the best seeker at shadowing.
she's a very good flyer but isn't quick enough to spot the snitch but she
makes up for it by watching the other seeker �"

"wait a minute, when did you become a quidditch buff?" harry laughed.

"i'm not," she said with dead seriousness. "but," a smile began to form "you are
and if i can watch the game for tactical reason to help you then it makes
the game more fun for me."

"well then what else do you have for me?"

"cho also gives a sign to the beaters to start going after the seeker once she's
spotted the snitch. so i think what you should do is what viktor did in
the world cup."

"go into a dive and fake her into following?" asked harry.

"yes but you'll have to really sell it," said hermione.

"i think i can do that," harry gave her a wicked smile before kissing her and
heading down to the pitch. an hour later harry was flying about the stadium
trying to shake cho. he looked down at hermione and gave her a wink.

"hermione? did harry just give yer a wink?" asked hagrid who was standing behind
the girl.

"he's gonna try and fake cho on a dive," hermione clasped her hands and held them
as tight as she could. harry decided he was going to need a little more
altitude to get to the speed he needed. so he causally floated a little higher and
waited. sure enough cho followed several moments later.

"here goes nothing," harry said under his breath. he faked as if he saw the snitch
then immediately went into a dive. the crowd screamed as they saw the
two seekers head straight for the ground. hermione's knuckles were white as a
ghost as she saw harry getting closer to the ground. screams of "pull up"
could be heard all around the stadium and just as it looked like harry was in
trouble he pulled out and skidded along the ground. it looked at though cho
might make it out of the dive too but as she pulled out her foot clipped the
ground causing her to crash. but harry didn't notices because he had seen
the snitch by little padraig's head and was heading straight for the slytherin
bleacher.

"harry potter has cought the golden snitch! gryffindor wins the quidditch cup!"
screamed colin in to the mic as the crowd roared. all of gryffindor house
came rushing onto the field. harry soon found himself on the shoulders of fifth
year students while ron and the rest of the team also began to get hoisted
into the air. harry began to look around to see where julia was sitting, but
couldn�t find her. as harry continued to search the bleachers, mcgonagall
and dumbledore approached the team with the quidditch cup. unlike previous years
mcgonagall didn�t look happy. something was wrong and it was written all
over dumbledore's face. thirty minutes later harry, still in quidditch gear, ron
and hermione were sitting in dumbledore's office along with rosie and
most of the order.

�i asked you all here because one of our members has left us,� dumbledore said in
a low tone.

�it�s julia,� harry whispered.

�julia,� huffed moody. �doesn�t that girl listen to anything i say?�

�where has she gone?� asked a worried lupin.

�every death eater in europe will be after her,� whispered tonks.

�why don�t we read the letter and we�ll all find out what she�s up too,� snape
said in a condescending tone.

�good idea professor snape,� said dumbledore as he took out the letter and handed
it to harry. harry looked at it for a moment then walked over to rosie.

�would you read it in her voice rosie,� harry asked.

�of course,� said rosie.

dear harry,

i�m sorry i couldn�t be there in person to talk with you but i didn�t want to
worry you before the big game. by the way, nice fake dive.

harry smiled with pride for a moment. at least he knew she had been watching.

i have no doubt you saw part of the vision i had last night. the reason i say part
is because i worked hard on keeping the other part from you, and it�s
in this other part of the vision that i must go. i cannot tell you where i�m going
because i don�t want any members of the order to follow. i know what
they must think. moody must be mad because i didn�t listen to him, tonks must be
worried that every death eater in this hemisphere will be after me, and
dumbledore will question why i must go. please tell remus i�m sorry for not
telling him, but you need him there and i hope he understands.

the journey i am about to take will help us in are cause. i hope you all can
forgive me for my secrecy and my unwillingness to trust you but it�s for
everyone�s
protection. if i get caught they wont be able to get any information from me. all
i ask is this . . . harry, do not encage the death eaters until i get
there. i have no doubt you�ll face several things before that, but whatever you do
don�t start that battle with the death eaters until i�m there. i promise
to return!

love,

julia

the familiar sound of silence filled the room. no one looked at each other. one of
their great champions had left them and there was no telling if she would
truly make it back. harry folded the letter and put it in his back pocket.

�typical potter, always running off trying to play hero,� snapped snape.

�shut your mouth severus,� growled lupin.

�she has put us all in danger,� snape raised his voice.

�she�s putting her life in danger to save us,� lupin said in a treating tone.

�knock it off,� hagrid said as he stepped between them.

�remus is right severus,� said a calm dumbledore. �julia didn�t say anything
important for a reason. but i fear that whatever she is trying to accomplish
might come too late,� dumbledore sat down in his chair and began to tap his
fingers against each other.

�albus, you don�t think she�s trying to call on the last alliance do you?�
mcgonagall asked.

�i�m afraid that�s exactly what she is doing. when she first described her vision
in the fall i was almost certain that was what she was seeing and now
that she�s had another vision, part of which we don�t know, i can say with utmost
certainty that is what she is doing,� dumbledore sighed. hermione slowly
stepped forward and cleared her throat.

�professor, the last alliance was never called upon. how could julia hope to
figure out who had sworn the oath?�

�miss. grainger, you�re resourcefulness never ceases to amaze me and if you�re not
a headmistress at this school someday i will be very disappointed,� dumbledore
winked. hermione turned a slight red at dumbledore compliment.

�the last alliance was a group of wizards from around the world that swore an oath
to raise as one and destroy voldemort if he ever tried to raise an army.
well word spread that voldemort was close to doing so until that night he meet you
harry,� dumbledore paused for a moment.

�professor, if no one knows who took the oath then how did they know to call them
for help?� harry asked.

�that i do not know,� said dumbledore. �professor mcgonagall, you and the children
should go back to your house and celebrate. if anything comes up professor
lupin will come and get you.� the group did as dumbledore instructed and left the
office.

�you three go on ahead. i�m going to stop by the kitchen and instructed the house
elves that all gryffindor students will be allowed as much butter beer
and food, as they want. the headmaster is right, a little relaxing would do
everyone some good,� and with that mcgonagall headed for the kitchen.

�well i�m always up for a party,� smiled ron.

�you�re always up for eating,� harry joked back. soon the gryffindor common room
was full celebration. even professor mcgonagall was having a good time.
the butterbeer was flowing and the kids were all enjoying themselves. harry took a
moment and watched as his friends would retell stories of old quidditch
games or tell of this past one. it was a moment all kids have in their youth and
harry just sat there drinking a butterbeer and letting everyone else be
the center of attention. but as with most moments like these they always have to
end.

�we need another butterbeer run,� yelled dean. mcgonagall walked over to a listed
and started talking out loud.

�the chaser went first and the beaters were the last to do it that means it�s the
keeper and seekers turn,� she smiled. chants of keeper and seeker started
to fill the common room as harry and ron made their way over to the empty cart.
hermione followed and the trio wheeled the carts out of the common room
and into the hall wall.

�what a party,� smiled hermione.

�to bad fred and george aren�t here,� ron said. �they always knew how to have a
good time.� the group continued to head towards the kitchen when they saw
two students making out in a corner.

�what should we do?� whispered ron who was pulling out his wand.

�leave them alone,� hermione hissed. but as they got closer they noticed the
girl�s red hair.

�hey, that girl has the same color hair as ginny,� ron muttered. as they got
closer ron�s face began to get redder.

�ron, keep your cool,� harry said.

�she has the right to make her own choice ron,� hermione added.

�ginny!� ron yelled out. and as ginny pulled away from the boy she was kissing a
new look eclipsed ron�s face because the boy she was kissing was none other
then draco malfoy. for a moment no one knew what to do, ginny and draco stood
their holding each other while hermione and harry slowly positioned themselves
to get in front of ron if he decided to attack. to everyone�s surprise ron did
nothing. he simple kept pushing the cart and headed to the kitchen with
a completely shocked look. draco was the first to act.

�weasley wait,� he jogged after him, along with everyone else. �wealsey!� but ron
wouldn�t respond.

�we have to do something?� said a panicked ginny.

�you should talk with him ginny. you�re his sister,� harry said in a serious tone.
ginny nodded her head and slowly approached ron.

�ron,� she said softly. ron stood looking at the portrait of the pair. �ron,
please talk to me.� for a moment nothing happened until ron slowly turned his
head, the look of shock gone and the pain of deception now lingered.

�how long have you been seeing him?� whispered ron.

�right before winter break,� muttered ginny. ron went back to staring at the pear.

�what has he ever done to deserve you?� ron said loud enough for everyone to hear.

�he�s not the same person ron,� a small plea in her voice.
�how do you know?� ron turned back to ginny and slowly took a step forward. �what
if we don�t win this battle, how do you know he wont go running back to
his father,� venom in ron�s voice.

�my father is dead weasley,� draco said. �he died the day he allowed the death
eaters to kill my mother.�

�how can any of us trust you?� ron yelled.

�he�s been helping you guys all year,� ginny interjected.

�really! every time he has information it seems like it comes too late. he tells
harry at the quidditch match something bad is going to happen, after hermione
already had been taken. he doesn�t even tell harry about the escaped prisoners
that tried to attack him, and what about when dad was attacked ginny,� ron
continued to lash out. �where were the slytherin spies then?�

�what do you want me to do weasley? how can i prove that i�m not the enemy,� draco
was beginning to get upset.

�stand up in front of the school and tell everyone you love ginny,� ron blurted
out.

�ron you know he can�t do that,� hermione said in a calm voice.

�but i know something he can do,� said harry.

�no harry absolutely not,� lupin said as he paced julia�s office. he and dumbedore
had been taking turns teaching her classes.

�you�re just going to talk with firenze, we�re just asking that you take draco
with you,� harry pleaded. lupin lead harry away from the group.

�what is this about harry?� whispered lupin.

�let�s just say when firenze meets draco you�ll understand.� something in harry�s
eyes told lupin everything would be ok. he took a deep breath and turned
to the rest of the group.

�meet here tomorrow night after dinner.�

�thank you professor,� draco smiled. the group began to leave when lupin called
out.

�draco . . . make sure you bring your wand.�

chapter 29 : draco's worth

chapter 29: draco�s worth

�did you know?� ron asked as the trio studied in their common room. harry gave
hermione a quick side-glance then looked at ron and nodded.

�i figured,� ron said in a defeated tone. �you guys were too calm last night not
to know.�

�we didn�t want to be the ones that told you,� hermione said as she peered over
her book.

�and you shouldn�t. ginny�s my sister, she should have told me,� a small bit of
anger in his tone.

�you�re handling it a lot better then i thought you would,� harry admitted.

�i�m handling it a lot better then i thought i would. part of me is angry but the
other part of me thinks that maybe he�s really changed. it�s confusing,�
ron said as he read his muggle book. they continued to study until it was time for
lunch. ron had decided to walk around the lake afterwards and think
about his sister so harry decided to give hermione a flying lesson. hermione had
agreed to take flying lessons from harry, just incase she had to use a
broom during the battle.

�harry is this really necessary?� hermione pleaded as she mounted his broom.

�yes,� but he could also see just how nervous hermione was so he slowly mounted
the broom behind her. he wrapped his arm around her waist and grabbed the
front of the broom.

�ready,� he whispered.

�yes,� her response caught in the back of her throat. harry slowly kicked off the
ground and he could feel hermione�s sudden intake of air. they slowly
rose into the air and soon they were above the castle overlooking the lake and
forest.

�oh harry,� hermione breathed. �this is your world. when you want to escape from
everyone and everything you come up here. this is why you love flying so
much.� harry pushed the broom so that they slowly glided over the castle and down
to the lake. the water sparkled in the afternoon sun. and for the second
time in her years at hogwarts, hermione saw the castle in a different light. but
unlike the night they saved sirius when the castle was dark and gloomy,
it stood in the afternoon sun as proud and as powerful as the first time she saw
it. the wind tickled her cheeks and ears, while harry�s soft touch kept
the broom at a pleasant speed that she wouldn�t be afraid of. hermione slowly
placed her hands over harry�s and together they stirred the broom. she looked
back at harry, who gave her his boyish smile and pulled her closer towards him. as
the afternoon wore on hermione began to get more comfortable and before
either one of them knew it the sun was beginning to set. they landed the broom on
the astronomy tower and watched it. harry held hermione from behind as
they stood there.

�this is what we�ll be fighting for,� whispered hermione. she turned in his arms
and looked up at him. �so that students can have afternoon�s like these
and not fear for their safety. so this castle can always be a place of learning
not a place of hiding. so that it will always be looked at as home.� her
final statement hit harry the most, because this was his home.

�that�s what you were thinking about up there?� harry asked.

�what do you mean?�

�whenever i need to think i always go flying. some people walk,� he motioned his
head to the lake where ron was on his tenth lap. �others head to the library,�
he smiled at her. �but me � i fly,� he paused. �but you�re right, it�s moments
like these,� they both turned and looked at the setting sun then to each
other. if one was looking at the astronomy tower at that very moment all they
could see would be a perfect silhouette of two young lovers sharing a tender
kiss. a kiss so sweet and innocent that it could last a lifetime but it only
lasted until the sun set. when they parted hermione shivered from the lack
of warmth. harry quickly grabbed her and wrapped her in his arms.

�i love you hermione,� he whispered.

�i love you too harry,� she said into his chest.

�i won�t let anything happen to you,� harry squeezed her a little tighter as he
said it. hermione pulled back and looked him dead in the eyes.

�i know.� they stood up there a moment longer then flew down to the lake and
collected ron. after dinner they gathered in julia�s office and waited for
lupin and the others. soon malfoy and ginny showed up.

�so where is the professor?� asked draco as he and ginny stood together.

�right here,� lupin said. hagrid and tonks were with him. �you ready mr. malfoy?�
draco nodded. �then come with us.� the group headed for the hallway when
ginny ran after malfoy and gave him a hug.

�be careful.�

�i will,� draco kissed her on the cheek then followed the group out. the trio and
ginny stood in the classroom a moment.

�if anything happens to him ron, i�ll never forgive you,� ginny meant it, it was
written in her eyes.

�nothing will happen,� ron said as he began to head for the door.

�where are you going?� harry asked.

�to make sure nothing happens,� ron said before leaving.

�come on,� hermione said following after him.

�don�t worry ginny we�ll make sure both come back,� harry said as he followed
hermione. the three marched out into the night air and followed the group
ahead of them.

�i don�t know why she�s worried,� ron muttered as they walked. �nothing is going
to happen.�

�then why are we following them?� harry asked.

�bloody hell isn�t it obvious,� he looked at hermione and harry. �just in case.�
it was a good half and hour before lupin�s group stopped. the forest was
dark and gloomy and harry�s group could barley make out draco and the others, but
they slowly crept forward until they were in ear shoot of what was going
on.

�firenze should be here by now,� hagrid sounded worried.

�wands at the ready, draco stick close to me,� lupin said. soon the sounds of
hooves could be heard in the distance.
�we must be quick, i can feel a great darkness coming,� said firenze as he
approached. his attention was drawn to draco.

�harry potter was wise to have you come,� firenze said as he stepped closer to the
boy.

�very soon draco malfoy, a choice will lie before you,� the centaur spoke. �take
revenge on the one you seek or save the one you love but you will not be
able to do both.� draco was shocked by his words but before he could respond the
centaur turned his attention to lupin, who now understood why harry had
requested malfoy meet firenze.

�remus, he seeks to strike soon. several of my kind has noticed giants arriving at
his camp. one claimed to have see a dragon � �

�a dragon,� exclaimed tonks.

�dragon,� squealed ron. harry and hermione both put a hand over his mouth.

�i�m afraid this will be our last meeting before the battle,� firenze said as he
looked around. �i�m sorry my kind wont help is this battle. unlike them
i know that we could be affected by the outcome.�

�you�ve done all you can firenze, dumbledore knows this,� lupin said as he shook
the creatures hand.

�one more thing before i go,� firenze looked over to where harry and the others
where hiding. �hermione granger.� the trio slowly revealed themselves from
behind a tree. the centaur motioned for her to come closer. he whispered something
in her ear when a noise came from the distance.

�ouch,� harry reached for his scar.

�harry what is it?� tonks asked.

�he is coming,� firenze panicked. �i must go. good luck harry potter.� and with
that the centaur was gone.

�come on,� lupin said as he grabbed malfoy.

�professor we don�t have time we have to hide,� hagrid said as voldemorts voice
grew louder. hagrid grabbed harry, hermione and ron and threw them into
a tree log, which he and tonks hid behind. lupin and malfoy hid behind a tree
opposite the other group.

�are we sure the ministry hasn�t sent any extra guards to the castle?� the high
hiss of voldemorts voice pierced the air. harry�s scar was starting to burn
more but he tried to ignore it. he made his way over to a hole in the log and
could see voldemort and another man walking.

�my sources in the ministry have said no one seems to think that hogwarts is in
any danger,� harry�s eyes widened as he finally saw the other man. lucius
malfoy. harry could also see malfoy peering out from behind his tree.

snap

�what was that?� voldemort hissed as he looked over at the tree lupin and malfoy
were hiding behind. but before lucius and voldemort could investigate a
wolf came flying out of no where.

�ron,� both harry and hermione said at the same time. ron began to growl and show
his teeth.

�what do we have hear?� said lucius in a condescending tone. �you picked the wrong
pry today my friend.� just as lucius raised his wand a unicorn came charging
towards the two dark wizards.

�my lord,� lucius and voldemort dove away from malfoy and lupin. when they got up
the wolf and unicorn were gone.

�something is not right,� voldemort said as he stood up. �the forest is trying to
protect something � but what.� the wizard looked around but could not
figure it out. �we will attack the last day of school. just as they finish they�re
morning exams and start to relax thinking they�ll be home soon. that�s
when dumbledore will fall and harry potter will be no more,� the dark lords laugh
echoed into the night.

�we should get back, no doubt dumbledore has those half brained professors making
nightly rounds just in case,� lucius said as he stared in the direction
of the castle.

�what will you do about your son lucius?� voldemort asked.

�i have no doubt he blames me for his mothers death and if he chooses to fight
against me he will see no mercy,� a hint of sadness in his voice.

�i�m surprised you�re not as eager as bellatrix to fight,� voldemort injected.

�bellatrix is eager to fight because she seeks revenge on julia potter for
embarrassing her not just in battle but because bellatrix did not check to make
sure she was dead all those years ago,� lucius smugly said. �i have no doubt
bellatrix will flee in shame again.�

�you think julia is stronger then bella?� voldemort curiously asked.

�i think we all need to be careful when it comes to her my lord. if i�m not
mistaken we wanted to destroy her because of a rumored prophecy,� lucius eyed
voldemort.

�don�t worry lucius, everything will come to an end soon,� voldemort said as he
walked away.

�but whose end will it be, for i fear it might be mine,� lucius spoke just loud
enough for everyone in hiding to hear. he glanced back in the direction
of the castle for a moment then started to follow voldemort back to camp. once
they were gone everyone slowly came out of hiding. for a second all anyone
could do was look at malfoy.

�he doesn�t want to fight,� draco whispered.

�how do you know?� harry asked.

�i just know,� draco looked at harry then back into the shadows of the forest.

�where�s hermione and ron,� whispered lupin.

�lumos � we�re down here,� hermione waved her wand. the group walked towards the
two.

�you guys alright?� tonks asked.

�we�re fine,� hermione said as they headed back to the castle. the group made it
back safe and sound. ginny was standing by the door when they returned.

�see not a scratch on him,� ron said as they continued into the castle. malfoy and
ginny hugged.

�yer three come with us,� hagrid said as they headed to dumbledore�s office.

�weasley!� draco called out after ron. the trio turned around and looked back at
the couple.

�malfoy you only have one assignment during the battle. protect her,� ron said as
he pointed to his sister. �if you can do that, then maybe she can tell
our parents about you.�

�don�t worry weasley, i can handle that,� draco smiled as he and ginny turned to
walk away.

�yeah well he better do it or i�ll kill him,� ron said to hermione and harry. the
group continued to walk towards dumbledore�s office.

�headmaster, we have news,� hagrid said as the group entered the old wizard�s
office.

�i fear it must be bad news,� dumbledore said as he turned to the group.

�voldemort sir, he plans to strike in five days,� lupin inserted. professors

mcgonagall and snape joined the group.

�professor mcgonagall, professor snape i�m afraid we have bad news,� dumbledore
sat in his chair.

�so it�s true then. he plans to strike?� a surprised snape exclaimed.

�yes it is true. we must start preparing the castle. tomorrow night after the
students have finished their dinner we will perform the sleeping spell and
have those students safely transferred to the room of requirement. i will make
sure that only madam pomfrey and i will be able to access it once they are
in there. professor lupin, please have alastor send word to the other aurors to be
here tomorrow night.�

�yes headmaster.�

�today is sunday which means voldemort plans to attack friday, we must do all we
can to make sure the students are ready,� dumbeldore looked pale and tired.

�professor might i have permission to take the students in my advance class and
have them help me tuesday morning in preparing potions for madam �� just
then mad-eye burst in.

�what�s going on here?� moody huffed.

�we have news from firenze,� said lupin.

�i�m guessing it�s not good otherwise you all wouldn�t be here. so spill it,
what�s going on?�

�voldemort will attack on friday,� harry said. by now no one flinched when he used
the dark lord�s name, not even snape.

�well that�s plenty of time to get the castle in order,� moody walked over to
dumbledore�s desk and slapped down several pieces of parchment. �young mr.
weasley and i have come up with a plan. i assume tomorrow night we�re performing
the sleeping spell on the cowards who aren�t fighting.�

�alastor,� a warning in dumbledore�s tone.

�tuesday morning we make preparations around the castle ��

�which will include my advanced students helping me in making positions for madam
pomfrey?� snape raised his eyebrow as he spoke.

�how many students and how much time?� moody asked.

�i will only need a few, and if we start in the morning we should be done by
lunch,� snape continued his flat tone.

�that shouldn�t be a problem. i assume you�re taking hermione?�

�i will require ms. granger,� snaped paused. �and mr. potter if that is alright.�

�me?� harry asked.

�it would seem that your extra lessons this summer and the assistance of ms.
granger have brought your skills to a sufficient level.� harry could tell that
snape hated paying him a complement.

�as long as you�re done with them by lunch,� moody growled. mad-eye continued to
go over the preparations. as the wizard spoke harry found himself looking
out the window hoping that maybe his aunt my come flying in at any moment.

�harry,� the soft voice of dumbledore snapped harry out of his gaze. he turned to
look at the headmaster. �what are you looking at?�

�i was just watching,� harry turned back to the window.

�watching for what harry?� lupin asked.

�for julia,� her name echoed through the room and everyone took a moment to look
out the window.

�she�ll make it harry,� lupin said in a confident manner. �she�ll make it.�

chapter 30 : race against time

chapter 30: race against time

the next night at dinner harry ate and watched his fellow classmates who were
about to be put to sleep for a week. sometimes he�d look at their faces and
get upset with them because they�d be safe and hidden while the other students
would be risking their lives. other times he felt sorry for having deceived
them for so long but all of those thoughts were soon gone once dumbledore stood
up.

�i hope everyone enjoyed their wonderful meal,� the wizard smiled. he then raised
his hands and started to chant under his breath. the familiar thud of
the student�s heads hitting the table happened moments later. �dobby,� dumbledore
called out. house elves appeared behind every student that was asleep
and with in seconds they were all gone. gasps and whispers filled the great hall.
�mr. feltch, will you please bring in our new guests.� the doors to the
hall swung open and peoples began to file through.

�mum, dad?� ron called out as mr. and mrs. weasley poured in, followed by fred,
george, bill and charlie.

�dad,� luna called as she spotted her father.

�gran,� neville gasped as his grandmother came walking towards him. many parents
and aurors took the places of the students who had just left.

�oh neville i�m so proud of you,� his grandmother said as she made a seat for
herself next to him. �and i know you�re parents would have been too,� she
smiled.

�why are you here?� neville asked still in shock.

�well i�m too old to fight but i knew poppy would need some help. i was quite good
at healing charms and potions in my day,� she winked at him. while neville
and his grandmother caught up the weasley family was having a reunion.

�what�s going on?� ron asked as they walked over to him.

�what do you think,� said george.

�we�ve come to fight,� add fred.

�you too?� ron asked his mother and father.

�well your mother has come to help madam pomfrey,� said mr. weasley. �i have come
to fight.� ron could tell his dad was nervous. after a few more minutes
dumbedore cleared his throat.

�i have asked the adults to join us because we have found out when voldemort plans
to attack,� taking a breath. �this friday.� harry watched as his classmates
began to look scared. those whose parents were present grabbed onto them while
others simply just sat in shock. dumbledore took a seat while mad eye hobbled
to the front of the hall.

�alright listen up. i�m professor moody and for the next three days i�ll be
running the show,� he shouted. �the first thing we have to do is get the castle
ready so tomorrow morning after breakfast you all will be split up into groups. in
the afternoon we�ll do drills and work on dueling and in the evening
we�ll go over things you�ll need to know. everyone understand?� moody asked as
everyone nodded his or her head in understanding. �good. now parents, you�ll
find rooms have been prepared for you in the same house as your children. aurors
please proceed to the slytherin house for your rooms.�

and so the preparations began. harry and hermione found themselves making more
potions then they ever thought imaginable with snape the following morning.
they were working with much larger caldrons and had to make sure their
measurements were larger. it was a small group of students; draco was there along
with susan bones from hufflepuff and a few 7th years from ravenclaw.

�ms. granger how are you and mr. potter coming along with the potion?� snape
sneered as he walked around checking on all the different caldrons.

�we have about 200 vials full sir,� hermione said as she and harry continued to
fill vials with a purple potion.

�let�s see if we can have it at 400 before lunch. mr. malfoy �� snape turned and
walked over to check on malfoy�s progess.

�400?� harry complained.

�it�s shouldn�t be that bad. you keep filling up the vials while i get ready to
make another batch,� hermione said as she went to gather up more ingredients.
lunch couldn�t have come quicker for harry. he and hermione looked exhausted as
they sat down next to mrs. weasley and tonks.

�you poor dears, what were you doing all morning?� asked mrs. weasley as she made
up a plate for the two children.

�making potions with professor snape,� harry said as he poured some juice.

�what did you two do?� hermione asked.

�well, apparently ron has had the house elves make these large silver shields and
we were planting them out side in the ground. when ron gives the signal
they�ll pop up and protect the first row of the army,� tonks said with excitement.

�which row are you in?� asked mrs. weasley nervously.

�we�re both in the first row, along with ron,� harry said in the nicest way
possible but mrs. weasley still looked worried.

�at least dumbledore put fred and george in the second row,� she muttered. the day
progressed and soon harry was in the dinning hall again for dinner. about
half way through mad eye stood up to address the crowed.

�you all can keep eating as long as you pay attention to some of the things i�m
about to show you,� he growled. the closer the battle came the grumpier
moody got. �now, it is still against the law to use any unforgivable spell, but
the ministry has told use they will be lenient on this rule for this battle,
but both the headmaster and i agree, no one in this army is to use the killing
curse. is that understood?� the great hall became deathly quite as moody
spoke. �instead i want everyone to try and knock out their opponent or tie them
up. once this is accomplished send up blue sparks and a house elf will
come and take the death eater to a port key which will take them to a prison the
ministry has set up. now, you all will be wearing your medallions so madam
pomfrey and her staff will be monitoring your health, if they see that you�re in
danger a house elf will come and get you no matter what.� moody continued
to talk about how dumbledore and mcgonagall would be communicating with everyone
through the same medallions and that security trolls and giants would
be arriving at the school in the morning. however no one noticed their presences
at breakfast the next day. instead everyone was watching as the house
elves passed out the uniforms for the battle.
�now these are special robes that can shield you from minor charms and hexes. they
also make you impervious to any weather and are as light as a feather,�
dumbledore explained.

�their just like our order robs,� ron said as he was handed his package.

�you will also find a black long sleeve shirt, black pants, and black shoes called
sneakers. the muggles use these shoes to run around in,� dumbledore went
on to say. harry unwrapped his package to find a maroon rob with the gryffindor
emblem on the left side of the chest and the name harry potter stitched
underneath. he then grabbed the long sleeve shirt, which felt like silk, very
smooth and very light. it too had the gryffindor crest on the same side as
the robe. next, he pulled out the pants which were drawstring and made of the same
material as the shirt, and had the gryffindor shield on the left leg.
finally he looked at the black sneakers that looked very comfortable.

�you�ll notice the shirt and pants are very smooth and light to the touch, it is
made of a material which helps harness the magical power of a witch or
wizard. they should only be worn in time of danger or battle. the shirt will
adjust to the weather and become a short sleeve shirt if you wish. just tap
the shirt with your wand and say �short�. the pants can also be shortened if you
wish.� harry looked around and saw the blue of ravenclaw, the yellow of
hufflepuff and the small group of green for slytherin. he then watched as mr. and
mrs. weasley opened theirs to find a silver robe.

�this afternoon after lunch we�ll have you put the outfit on and practice dueling
so you can get use to the new accuracy you�ll have,� moody said as he
stood up. �now let�s get to work.� the gryffindor�s spend the morning hanging
bells through out the castle so that when some one spotted an intruder they
could ring the bell and help would come. the hufflepuffs constructed a board that
correlated with where the bells were placed. dumbledore and mcgonagall
would have this board on the astronomy tower with them so they could monitor and
send help where it might be needed. the ravenclaws constructed the medical
board with everyone�s name on it. next to each name were four circles green,
yellow, orange, and red. once the board was up and running everyone had the
green circle lit indicating they were in good health. afternoon dueling finally
arrived and harry was very excited. everyone went up to their room and
put their outfit on minus the robe. harry had made his shirt a t-shirt but kept
the pants at full length. he was just finishing up tying the pants when
he walked by his mirror. harry had filled out over this past year, the shirt was a
little more fitting but with enough room so that he could move around
freely, this showed off the muscles he�d developed in the arms and chest. he was
still skinny but at least it wasn�t skin and bones. to give the kids a
little fun moody started a tournament and as the afternoon wore on it was starting
to look like harry might face hermione for the championship. to everyone
surprise hermione was quite the duelist, even dumbledore and moody commented on
it.

�harry�s gonna have some trouble with her,� alastor whispered to dumbledore.

�it would seem that ms. granger has been studying the different techniques and has
mastered them well,� the headmaster smiled.

�it�s not just that,� moody eyed the girl with his electric blue eye. �there is a
raw talent that hasn�t been tapped.� the professors weren�t the only ones
impressed. as harry watched her, he tried to figure out her style. she wasn�t
athletic but she moved with the agility and grace of a dancer, while still
being a quick thinker.

�all right,� mad eye said as he walked to the center of the dueling platform. �it
looks like it will be a show down between gryffindor�s.� the gryffindor
house cheered. �harry potter, hermione granger please take your places.� hermione
had also elected to wear her shirt short and her pants long, causing
the out fit to accentuate her womanly features. she calmly put her hair in a
ponytail and stepped in to the center of the dueling ring, along with harry.
they bowed to each other then proceed to take their places.

�wands at the ready,� said moody. �go.�

�expelliarmus,� they both shouted.

�protego,� harry shouted to protect himself from the spell.

�diffindo,� shouted hermione who dodged harry�s spell. �incarcerous,� hermione�s

first spell cut through harry�s shield causing him to dive out of the way
of next one.

�locomotor mortis,� he shouted as he rolled but is aim was off.

�stupefy,� shouted hermione. harry just narrowly leap frog over the spell. he
rolled forward and pointed his wand right at hermione�s chest but as he was
saying the spell he realized she had already put up a shield. he quickly got up
and prepared for her next volley. they both stood for a moment examining
the other. they were about ten yards apart.

�expelliarmus,� they both shouted. both were direct hits causing their wands to
fly out of their hands. after a second hermione realized her wand had flown
over harry shoulder and vice versa. they started to run at each other while
stretching out their hands calling for their wands. at the exact same time
their wands flew to their hands and each one pointed their wand at the other. the
wands were only inches from their faces. the crowd hushed to see who
would make the first move, but unknown to harry, hermione had already gotten him
with a spell. he realized it when he tried to move and noticed he was
moving in slow motion. hermione took several steps back then cleared her throat.

�incarcerous,� she said. the ropes quickly tied harry up. moody appeared next to
hermione and raised her hand.

�hermione granger is the champion!� he shouted. the crowd cheered and soon
hermione found herself hoisted on people�s shoulders and paraded around the hall.

�finite,� moody said as he helped harry to his feet. they both watched for a
moment as hermione�s cheeks turned red from all the attention. �you didn�t
let her win did ya?� moody growled.

�no,� harry laughed. �no, she got me.�

�that�s what i thought,� moody almost said with a smile.

�but i don�t know how she did it. i didn�t hear her say anything?� asked a
confused harry.

�well if i understand correctly ms. granger has adjusted to wand-less magic fast.
but i wouldn�t worry harry � she�s probably the only one in the world
who could beat you,� moody slapped harry on the back then proceeded to wish
hermione congratulations.

harry watched for a moment and was glad he hadn�t won; watching someone else be
the center of attention was a nice reality check for him. he had been happy
for ron the year before when gryffindor had won the quidditch cup. but this
feeling was different; he felt more pride then anything else. hermione was
his girlfriend and he would gladly lose to her every time if it meant seeing that
wonderful smile of hers. the group that was carrying her brought her
back to the dueling ring. there was still a little red in her cheeks but harry
could tell she was enjoying the moment. a moment that lasted into dinner
as the hall buzzed with activity. for a time everyone had forgotten the looming
battle and for that, harry was thankful because the next morning at breakfast
an eerie silence had fallen over the castle. as everyone ate, people would glance
out the window or look towards the doors anticipating what was to come.
the morning and part of the afternoon was scheduled for drills and last minute
instructions, the rest of the day was free for people to do whatever they
wish. dumbledore even encouraged people to go outside and enjoy the weather. at
first no one seemed to think he was serious until some of the first years
decided to play a pick up game of quidditch thus causing a ripple effect.

the trio soon found themselves walking the familiar grounds and watched all the
activity around them. hagrid had a line of students waiting to take a ride
on buckbeak or one of the other hippogriffs. the first years had taken over the
quidditch pitch and were still playing their first game. fred and george
were showing off they�re latest invention while the grown ups joined the children
in they�re various activities. the sounds of laugher filled the afternoon
and as he had done for most of the year harry stopped to take it in and remember
what life was like before the battle. in his mind, these grounds would
have nightmares and scary visions for some of these children after tomorrow, a
thought which harry hated.

�don�t worry mate,� ron said interrupting his thoughts. �everyone might think
about the battle when they come out to play or relax next year, but they�ll
create new memories and enjoy the castle again.�

�and for some the memories from this battle might not all be bad, some people
might remember how hard they fought and how they discovered how brave they
could be,� hermione added.

�i hope you both are right.� harry said as he looked to the sky, searching for
that one person who could turn the tide of battle. soon night fell and everyone
went into the castle for dinner. it was a grand feast much like the first night at
school. and in the middle of dinner dumbledore stood to address the
crowd.

�as always i�d like to thank the house elves for a wonderful dinner tonight,�
dumbledore clapped and everyone followed suite. he then looked down and breathed
a heavy sigh. �tomorrow is friday, a day which would normally be filled with final
exams and the excitement of summer break. but instead we embark on another
challenge, a challenge repeated throughout our history,� he paused. �the battle
between good and evil, a never ending battle that will continue long after
tomorrow�s battle and long after we have left this world. but we have a chance � a
chance to tip the balance in favor of that which is good and pure in
the world. a chance to make a statement that no matter the odds there are still
those willing to fight and willing to stand up for what they believe in.
that chance rests with you � all of you have the ability to show the rest of the
world what courage and bravery means, and you don�t have to have a gryffindor
on your robe to do it,� dumbledore looked over the crowd and started to tear up.
�i have never been more proud of a group of students then i am of you.�
no one spoke for several moments until suddenly fred and george stood up and
raised their glasses. they said nothing for a second or two then fred cleared
his throat.

�most of you remembered how we left hogwarts last year,� he paused as a cheer rang
out in the hall. �but if dumbledore had been the headmaster we would
have stayed.�

�and it�s because of dumbledore that we came back to help in this battle,� george
added. �besides my little brother and sister,� a soft laughter filled
the halls.

�so lets raise our glasses to our professor, our headmaster and the one guy you�d
be willing to die for � �

�besides your family,� george added.

�to dumbledore!� fred raised his glass. �the one person who believed harry when he
said that voldemort had returned and to the one person who seems to take
action rather then sitting in the ministry thinking about it,� the crowd laughed
again. �to dumbledore!� the crowded stood and raised their glasses.

�to dumbledore,� the statement echoed through out the hall. after everyone took
their sips, some sipped longer then others, the old wizard cleared his throat
again.

�because we don�t know when voldemort might plan to attack tomorrow everyone will
be sleeping in here tonight. so feel free to go back to your common rooms
and slip into your pajamas, make sure you bring your outfit down with you just in
case and by the time everyone comes back the hall will be ready.�

and so it was, when harry and the rest of gryffindor returned the great hall
looked like a huge slumber party, and for most of the night it was. dumbledore
had instructed everyone to hang out and visit with friends and family and at
midnight he would cast a spell that would allow them to sleep. since the beds
were not marked people would claim areas of the great hall. groups of friends and
family were everywhere. sometime through out the night harry realized
his group had taken the center of the great hall and every now and then people
would turn there attentions to his group and join in. he and hermione had
pushed two beds together so they were right next to each other, as did ron and
luna. ginny had slowly made her way over to the group with draco in tow
and was unsure what to do.

�mum, dad,� ron got his parents attention. �i would like to introduce ginny�s
boyfriend,� ron gestured over towards draco. �and someone who�s helped harry
out a lot this year. draco malfoy.� the group was taken aback by ron�s bold move
but his parents understood that if ron was fine with it then draco must
have done something to earn their little girl. mrs. weasley rushed up and hugged
draco.

�welcome to the family dear,� she smiled at him. and in draco�s eyes harry saw the
feeling of acceptance and the possibility of a new home. harry imagined
he must have had that exact look in his eyes when mrs. weasley had welcomed him
into their home all those years ago. soon luna�s dad and the twins claimed
their beds around the trio, as did neville and his grandmother, dean and the rest
of the gryffindor house. talk would go from some adventure of harry�s
to a story one of the adults would share with the children. midnight came quicker
then expected and soon chimes rang, indicating it was time to sleep.
harry gave too many hugs and said so many goodnights that by the time he looked
over at hermione he was starting to feel sleepy. they quickly gave each
other a kiss then held hands as they drifted off to sleep.

harry awoke the next morning feeling the most rested he�d ever felt in his years
at hogwarts but when his eyes finally focused he saw that hermione was
gone. he quickly sat up and looked around the great hall. he could feel that she
was near by but he couldn�t place where. the streaks of sun started to
slip in through the windows of the great hall and harry realized that it was
barley morning. he threw on his slippers and quietly headed for the door hoping
that hermione had just gone for a walk. his worries were over as he slipped out of
the great hall and looked towards the front doors. there hermione stood
watching the sunrise. he slowly walked over to her.

�i�m surprised you�re up,� she said before he reached her. harry had forgotten how
good they had become and sensing and feeling each other�s presence since
the spell.

�i woke up and you were gone,� he said still a little groggy.

�i just woke up a moment or two ago. i just had this strange urge to see the
sunrise,� she continued to look out into the horizon.

�why?�

�to figure out what the outcome of today might be,� she said a little more
distant.

�how can you tell?� harry said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. he
looked out to the sun and saw the brilliant orange, yellow and red streaks
across the sky. but then harry noticed that the sunrise was much more red then
usual.

�it�s a red sunrise,� she paused and looked up at him. �it means before the
sunsets, blood will be spilt on this day.� harry looked out towards the forest.

�but whose blood?� he whispered. �ours or theirs?�

a/n: i'm sorry it takes soooo long between posts but work has been very crazy
these last couple of months. i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and i'm
just going to warn you that it will probably take me some time to write the next
chapter. thank you all for sticken with me for so long!!! i couldn't asked
for a nicer group of readers!!!

chapter 31 : the battle begins

chapter 31: the battle begins

life isn�t always fair or forgiving, sometimes it throws you everything it can all
at once. sometimes it is relentless and never once takes a break from
its ongoing assault. however, sometimes life can be sweet and blissful giving you
the greatest moments of triumph and happiness. moments so full of joy
and love that you never want to let go, you just want to live in them forever. but
could life encompass all of these things in one day? could it take away
a loved one or a friend but also help defeat a great evil? could a moment full of
hope also be full of sorrow?
the questions went unanswered and soon harry realized that he and hermione were
still staring at the red sunrise. red could mean so many things like passion
and love, but not this day. this day it meant death. soon the quiet footsteps of
fellow students broke harry out of the trance the red sunrise was causing.
whispers grew as more and more people came to the front door to look at the
spectacle. dumbledore soon stood next to hermione and also watched the rising
sun for many long minutes.

�come,� he said barley above a whisper. �let us prepare for the day.� and with
that the group slowly walked back to the great hall.

after everyone had showered and changed into their outfit�s, breakfast was served.
the soft scratching and click of plates was all that filled the great
hall that morning. some people were able to eat a full plate of food, while others
could only munch on toast. several people had rushed out of the great
hall holding their mouths. once it was obvious that no one could eat anymore,e
dumbledore clapped his hands causing the food to disappear. people were
split up into groups of four, three children and one adult to start patrolling the
grounds. harry, hermione, ron and tonks were sitting in the quidditch
stands watching the horizon taking a break from patrolling. it was nearly time for
lunch and nothing had happened yet.

�what if he doesn�t attack?� ron asked as he laid on one of the bleachers.

�he will,� harry said as he continued to scan the treetops of the forest.

�yeah but what if he doesn�t? what if all this training was for nothing?� ron
continued.

�it wasn�t for nothing,� said tonks. �if he doesn�t attack today, he�ll attack at
some point.�

�yeah but what � �

�quiet!� harry hissed. he looked back out to the treetops, something was moving.
the trees in the far distance were shaking. �dumbledore.� harry called
out.

�yes harry,� the old wizards voice was so clear it sounds like he was stand next
to the group. ron whipped his head around in all directions until he saw
hermione pointing to the medallion, with an exasperated look on her face.

�what?� ron whispered.

�is there a patrol on top of the astronomy tower?� harry asked.

�professor lupin and his group are on the tower. i�ll have him speak with you,�
the headmaster instructed.

�harry? is something the matter?� lupin asked.

�professor do you see the tree tops in the distance moving?� there was no response
for a moment.

�harry where are you?� lupin asked in a worried tone.

�the quidditch pitch. why?�

�harry get out of there! get out of there now!� lupin was practically screaming.
before harry could ask why he felt hermione pull him towards the stair
well.

�what�s the matter?� harry asked as he yanked free.

�look,� hermione pointed outside. harry turned to see a large dragon hovering
above the stadium.

�bloody hell,� ron whimpered.

�that�s a ukrainian ironbelly.� came the voice of charlie weasley. �as quietly as
possible, get to the bottom of the stands and a house elf will get you.�
the group slowly started to head towards the stairs. tonks went first followed by
ron, then hermione and finally harry. they made it down one flight when
one of the steps made a loud creak. everybody stop dead in their tracks. harry�s
heart was pounding so hard in his chest it was a wonder the dragon didn�t
hear. after several moments harry let out a long breath he didn�t know he was
holding.

�that was close,� ron whispered. no sooner had the words come out of his mouth
when a raging blast of fire exploded above their heads setting the top of
the stands on fire.

�come on!� yelled tonks. the group began to run down the stairs, just as harry
made it down another flight, another blast of fire erupted over his head,
this one closer then the first. the blast cause him to lose balance and harry fell
down the next flight, harry quickly got up and found himself next to
ron and he turned to see where hermione was when another powerful fire ball
exploded above them. hermione leaped down to the landing harry was standing
on, narrowly missing the fire raging above. now harry and hermione were behind
tonks and ron. and just as they were about to go down the next flight of
stair they heard ron yell.

�watch out!� the stairwell in front of them disappeared. harry and hermione were
trapped between the fires above and the new one below. but just as harry
thought it couldn�t get any worse the stands began to sway from lose of support.

�reducto!� yelled hermione from behind him. she had blown a hole in the wall
facing the forest. they looked outside and saw they were about two stories
off the ground.

�hang on you two!� tonks shouted. within moments both harry and hermione were
lifted off the ground and slowly floated down to ron and tonks.

�thanks for the help,� harry said once his feet touched the ground. several large
snaps caught they�re attention. the stand was going to fall and as it
swayed the group realized it would fall on them. they were about to run when the
dragon came from behind the stands. the moment of hesitation cost them
and the group all braced themselves for impact. but instead of fire and wood harry
felt a very weird sensation that reminded him of apparition. he opened
his eye and found himself in the great hall.

�harry,� lupin yelled as he ran towards the young man. �are you alright,� he asked
while looking at the small cuts on harry�s face.

�i�m fine,� harry breathed still wondering how they escaped.

�harry potter sir, was dobby quick enough?� the house elf looks up at him with his
big eyes.

�dobby you were brilliant,� harry smiled.

�no time for pleasantries,� madam pomfrey said as she shoved purple vials into
everyone�s hand. as soon as harry finished he could feel the sting of the
cuts and bruses starting to heal.

�listen up,� shouted charlie wesley. �aurors i need you on the ground once the air
squadron and i subdue the dragon. you�re going to have to start using
the binding spell on it. the rest of you stay here and follow mad-eye�s
instructions.�

�air squad mount up,� yelled madam hooch.

�dobby can you grab my broom ��

�mine too dobby,� ron cut off harry.

�i�ll come with you,� hermione added.

�no,� snapped moody. �we need you on the tower with the others. if this dragon
gets out of hand we need to fix any damage to the castle before it hurts
anyone.�

�but professor ��

�no buts! we need you on the tower, charlie has plenty of help in the air and on
the ground,� with that mad-eye turned and headed towards a group of students.
hermione looked to harry, they both knew how dangerous this was going to be and
they could feel each other�s anxiety about being separated.

�i�ll be careful,� he gave her a hug. �i promise,� he whispered in her ear. he

gently kissed her forehead then headed for the back of the castle with the
rest of the air squadron. hermione turned to see a group of students looking at
her. colin stepped forward.

�professor moody said we�re supposed to go to the astronomy tower,� the group was
comprised of seventh, sixth and fifth years. hermione knew that most of
these students were strong when it came to charms.

�what adult is coming with us?� hermione asked.

�he said you�re in charge,� colin smiled nervously.

�right,� hermione could see everyone was nervous. �let�s get to that tower and
help the air squadron.� with that her group headed towards the tower.

harry and ron mounted up in the rear courtyard of the castle with the air
squadron. they both listened to ginny and draco as the two captains instructed
their team how they were going to proceed. the quicker of the flyers would head in
first distract the dragon as the stronger spell casters flew in next
hitting the dragon. charlie then took the lead.

�ironbellys are the largest bread of dragons on the planet, which gives us the
advantage. he�s not as quick as the dragon you all might have seen harry
face in his forth year, but his blast is powerful. unless absolutely necessary
avoid flying in front of him, everybody understand?� the group nodded their
heads then heard the shrieking call of the dragon as he came closer to the castle.
charlie turned to madam hooch and gave a nod.

�ok group one mount up and head for the dragon. group two hold back and wait for
my signal to advance on the dragon,� she instructed as she took off

�potter you wait with group two, weasley you and your sister lead group one,�
draco called out as the two group rose in the air.

�good luck harry,� ron called out over his shoulder.

hermione watched as the first group past over her head. she looked over at luna
who had her wand trained on ron just in case something happened. she watched
as the first group flew in and distracted the dragon. it turned and started to try
and chase after the group. hermione then looked up to see harry and
his group heading in next. they made brief eye contact, then harry turned and head
in towards the dragon. the sounds of shouting and spell casting filled
the afternoon air. the aurors on the ground and the children in the air were all
calling out the stunning spell. however it didn�t look like they were
having any effect on the large beast.

harry wove in and out as his group went back in for another round. they had hit
the dragon several times and the beast showed no sign of slowing down. the
dragon made a quick turn and soon harry and his group were now face to face with
him. draco took the team into a dive narrowly missing the dragon�s fire
blast. they were now underneath the creature and everyone tried to hit the dragon
with at least two shots of the spell. the dragon changed direction again
and in doing so hit one of the towers of the castle.

everything happened in slow motion. hermione saw the tower slowly start to crash
and part of it was heading for the great hall. she focused all her energy
on stopping the collapse with the impediment jinx. her group followed her lead and
the top of the tower stopped several inches from the roof of the great
hall along with the rest of the tower. her group slowly began to use the repair
charm to get the tower back in its proper place.

�charlie!� ginny�s scream carried on the wind. harry turned to see part of
charlie�s broom on fire and plummeting towards the ground. the aurors were able
to stop him and quickly put out the fire. whatever charlie had done it seemed to
work and the dragon looked like it was beginning to be effected by the
stunning spell. the two groups continued to focus on stunning the creature until
he was finally tied down. once the all clear was given, ron and ginny
ran into the castle to check on charlie. harry followed and started to look for
hermione, he had seen the tower begin to fell but he didn�t know what had
happened.

�harry,� she called out as her group entered the great hall.

�you ok?� he asked while looking her over.

�fine, what happened to charlie?� hermione asked as they walked over to the
weasley�s.

�i don�t know, i turned and saw his broom was on fire,� harry whispered as they
approached the family. the great hall was now split up into two halves the
front was a staging area and set up area for the army, while the second half was
the new infirmary. madam pomfrey and neville�s grandmother were working
on charlie behind the curtain wall. dumbledore stepped out to address the
weasley�s.

�he suffered severe burns on his legs. poppy is doing all she can to save them,�
dumbledore whispered. mrs. weasley gave a silent sob as mr. weasley hugged
her, bill held ginny while the twins and ron looked on.

�he�s a weasley,� ron began to say. �he�ll pull through.� draco slowly made his
way over to the group.

�what happened?� he asked harry.

�ginny�s brother charlie,� harry whispered. �his legs are burned and they don�t
know if they can save them.� draco was about to leave when hermione grabbed
his arm.

�ginny will need you,� hermione said in a low voice. draco nodded his head and
stood with hermione and harry and waited to help the weasley�s in any way
possible.

the rest of the afternoon was uneventful. ministry officials came to pick up the
dragon. the sun was getting lower in the sky and people began to wonder
what would be next. madam pomfrey had stabilized charlie but whether he�d have the
use of his legs again was uncertain. dinner was being served early and
people were beginning to finish up when a rumbling came from the forest.

�dumbledore!� the voice echoed. �your time has come to an end!�

�this is it,� mad-eye shouted. �form up!� robes were tied and sneakers were retied
as everyone prepared themselves to march. parents who weren�t going out
in the field gave they�re children last minute hugs and kisses. tears were shed
and promise of returning made. the students were lined up and awaited the
signal to begin marching towards the fight.

�remember we all have loved ones affect by this evil, remember them when you�re
out there,� dumbledore instructed as he looked over the students, he then
nodded his head to mad-eye who gave the signal. the students began to march out of
the castle, and down towards the forest. there was nothing out there
as they made they�re way down the hill. the first group made a sharp turns halfway
to hagrid�s hut. the second row filled in behind the first and the third
group behind the second.

�hold positions until we see something,� dumbledore instructed. harry glanced back
and saw him along with mcgonagall on the tower looking over the forest.

�how cute dumbledore, you created your own army,� the voice sneered. �but they
won�t save you.� soon death eaters slowly came walking out of the forest.
and formed they�re own line. the two armies were about fifty yards apart and
neither moved for several moments. harry then saw a large black mass of death
eaters rise up from the forest on brooms. they�re air squad was triple the size of
dumbledore�s. people began to get restless.

�hold the line!� harry shouted. the order was repeated through out the ranks.

�harry it�s no use,� the voice said. �give up and your death will be painless. i
might even spare the lives of your pathetic friends.�

�steady harry,� came lupin�s voice. �don�t let him goat you into making the first
move.� harry took a breath.

�voldemort, this is between you and me. tell your death eaters to back down we
don�t want to hurt them,� harry shouted. a large laugh erupted from the death
eaters, except for one. harry looked over and saw lucius malfoy was leading the
army but he didn�t look amused like the other death eaters. next to lucius
was bella, she was searching the crowd for julia.

�where is your sorry excuse for an aunt, potter!� she shouted. �too scared to face
me again.�

�prepare for the first volley,� moody communicated through the medallions.

�no,� harry whispered. �we must wait. julia said not to engage them until she was
here,� harry pleaded.

�harry she�s not here. we can�t wait for her any more,� moody growled. but the
decision was taken out of their hands.

�wands at the ready!� lucius shouted.

�wands at the ready!� harry responded. harry then watched as lucius communicated
something with his group and just when it looked like they were about to
start a faint sound carried on the wind. it slowly got louder and louder, until
finally harry tried to make it out.

�hold the line,� the faint voice called. the death eaters looked around for the
source of the noise. as did harry and his group.

�look!� one of the students pointed towards over the lake. the sun was setting and
it was getting harder to see. but the student was point to a large mast
moving towards them. the voice called again.

�hold the line!�

�what is it?� ron asked, but no one had the chance to answer because the next time
the voice rang out it was clear who was coming.

�hold the line!� julia screamed as she flew at break neck speed towards the
armies. she flew down towards harry�s group then jumped off her broom keeping
her back to the death eaters.

�i promised i�d come back,� she winked at harry. the large mass that was behind
her was the last alliance. everyone�s mouths were hanging open, as the hundreds
of witches and wizards on brooms became part of draco and ginny�s group in the
air. now it was dumbledore who had the advantage in size. julia then whipped
her robe around and faced the death eaters.

�this is your last chance!� she shouted. �back down or be taken prisoner. if
anyone dies here it will be on your heads not ours!�

�then you�re death will be on mine potter!� bella sceamed.

�wands at the ready!� julia shouted. almost a thousand wands pointed at each
other.

�attack!�
a/n - before you all think i'm evil i promise to update within this next week.

chapter 32 : the battle for hogwarts

chapter 32: the battle for hogwarts

at any point in time life can change in an instant, this was one of those moments.
everything had slowed down to a crawl and harry could only hear his own
intake of air and the blood pounding in his head as julia shouted the advancement.
he could see the death eaters shouting out spells and a spectrum of
different colors came towards him. it wasn�t until the silver shields came popping
out of the ground that harry was jarred back into real time. julia had
jumped behind the wall of shields at the last minute.

�prepare the stun spell!� she shouted. the order was echoed down the line. �now!�

�stupefy!� the spelled rang out from harry�s side. several death eaters were
already down from getting their own spells bounced back at them. another group
went down from the stunning spell.

�concentrate on getting those shields out of the ground!� lucius shouted to his
group.

�first row listen up!� julia shouted safely behind a shield. �once they get these
out of the ground put up the shield charm,� she turned to the second row.
�hit them with another round of the stun spell once our shields are up!�

as the ground assault began so did the battle in the air. madam hooch, draco and
ginny all gave the signals and the air squadron began to attack the death
eaters in the air. they would engage them at point blank range. the first wave of
the air squadron which was now comprised of members of the last alliance
went in to distract the death eaters. draco led the group and just as the death
eaters shouted their spells his group pulled up and out of the way. the
second wave, led by ginny was able to knock out many death eaters who weren�t
paying attention. but they weren�t able to get out of the area with out losing
a few of their own. it was now going to be a dog fight and witches and wizards
started to go after individuals.

back on the ground, the silver shields were final pulled out of the ground causing
the first row to shield them selves while the second row continued to
use the stunning spell. after several volleys dumbledore finally gave the signal
to charge. holding the third row back to protect the castle and help support
those in the air.

�come on!� julia shouted as she began to run at the death eaters.

�die potter!� bellatrix screamed. �crucio!�

�protego maximus!� julia shouted. her shield covered harry�s entire group.
�stupefy maximus!� julia started running towards bellatrix. while julia engaged
with bellatrix, harry and his group began to throw up the signals for house elves
to collect knocked out death eaters.

�harry behind you!� ron shouted. but it was too late harry was wrapped up in
ropes.

�diffndo,� hermione called out, cutting harry lose from the ropes. �don�t let them
surround us!� she shouted. the three friends and their groups came together
as they were the spearhead of the charge. defending and attacking, they worked
together to keep each other safe.

�if any one tries to use the killing curse hit them with the silencing charm
before they can finish,� came the voice of mcgonagall over the medallions.

�hermione watch out,� neville knocked hermione out of the way of a jelly leg jinx.

�expelliarmus!� she shouted.

�stupefy!� neville followed. the death eater was rendered unconscious. hermione
sent up sparks and a house elf appeared and collected the body.

�harry� ron shouted as he pointed to several people falling from the ski.

�wingardium leviosa!� harry shouted, several members echoed the spell helping stop
the bodies from crashing to the ground.

�the house elves have the bodies harry protect your group,� dumbledore
communicated.

�crucio!� the spell came out of no where and hit luna right in the chest, causing
her to scream out in pain.

�crucio!� ron roared at the death eater who cast the spell.

�incarcerous,� hermione said as the effects of ron�s spell wore off the death
eater. just then out of the corner of harry�s eye he saw bellatrix take aim
for hermione.

�expelliarmus,� harry shouted. bellatrix called her wand back, but before she
could try anything again. julia jumped back in front of her.

�what�s the matter bella, afraid to face me?� julia taunted. the two witches
continued to fight. near by two fathers continued to dual each other.

�look what you�re doing lucius!� mr. weasley shouted. �you�re fighting children.�

�i did not want this to happen, weasley!� lucius slowly regretting what they were
doing.

�how was it suppose to happen!� weasley shouted. mr. weasley ducked out of the way
of one spell as did lucius.

meanwhile in the air ginny was having a hard time shaking a death eater. as she
weaved in and out of people in the air she sent up sparks for help. she
saw draco flying straight at her. just before they would have collided ginny
barrel rolled to the right allowing draco a perfect shot at the death eater.
the couple smiled at each other for a moment, then continued on their separate
ways.

the great hall was now transformed into a hospital. the medical board was up and
ten or so second year students were monitoring everybody. calling out names
to house elves and indicating what level of health they were at. if someone was
brought in and could be completely heal with in several minutes they were
sent back out. mrs. weasley would continually check her family who were all in one
spot. after she checked on them her eyes would search the board for
harry, hermione and draco.
�madam pomfrey!� padraig shouted as he ran into the great hall.

�what is it?� the old woman asked.

�giants have entered the castle!�

hagrid and madam maxine, who had arrived the night before, took their group of
giants and headed towards wear voldemort�s group had breached the castle.
they entered the court yard and saw as a patrol group of third years try to stun
them. when one of the children was thrown against a wall hagrid made his
move and launched himself at the lead giant.

back outside things were becoming more chaotic. to avoid being hit the witches and
wizards in the air would dive towards the ground and fly between the
people fighting. dean thomas was chasing a death eater who was now diving towards
the fighting on the ground while at the same time neville was sending
sparks up for a house elf to collect another death eater. what happened next only
took moments but neville would never forget it. he looked up and saw
julia and bellatrix continue to fight. julia had the upper hand but bellatrix
would use other people as human shields. the words formed on bellatrix lips.

�get down!� julia shouted to everyone around.

�avada kedavra,� bellatrix screamed. at that moment dean thomas flew down to
follow the death eater and was hit in the back with the killing curse. neville
and he made eye contact just before the flicker of life in dean faded. he quickly
ran over to his friends limp body once it fell to the ground.

�dean,� neville said nervously. harry, hermione and ron ran over to him along with
their group. �she killed him,� neville muttered. the word quickly spread
that the first killing curse had been use on a child. mr. weasley and lucius
stopped dueling for a moment as they looked over and saw the growing number
of children around the area. arthur then heard the announcement over the
medallion.

�did you hear that lucius! bellatrix just killed a child! get your men under
control!� mr. weasley shouted.

�you there!� lucius shouted to a near by death eater, who turned to face him. �i
want the word given that no one is to kill any children!�

�but sir ��

�that�s an order!�

the mood in the great hall became somber as the first life sign went red.

�madam pomfrey,� one of the students said. �we lost someone.� mrs. weasley, madam
pomfrey and neville�s grandmother came rushing over to the board.

�who?� mrs. weasley said franticly.

�dean thomas,� the student said. �he was in the green and suddenly went red.�

�the killing curse,� neville�s grandmother whispered.

�dobby,� madam pomfry said her voice unsteady. �please go and collect mr. thomas�s
body.�

the fighting in the air was halted for a moment as the air squadron collected
themselves. draco looked over at ginny and the rest of the gryffindor�s who
were on the verge of tears or on the verge of using the killing curse themselves.

�draco is it true?� cho chang asked.

�yes.� the group hung their heads for a moment. then madam hooch noticed the death
eaters were getting ready for another pass at them.

�alright, let�s form up,� she said sadly. �wands at the ready!� the flying squad
pointed their wands at the charging death eaters.

�for dean!� seamus shouted. the air squadron gave out a war cry that filled the
night. the group on the ground looked up and saw their flying companions
charge the death eaters with new veracity. harry looked around and saw the death
eaters on the ground were also collecting themselves.

�form up!� harry shouted. the first row, which was dramatically thinner, formed up
along with the second row.

�wands at the ready!� ron shouted.

�now!� hermione shouted. the group charged again at the death eaters, who were
surprised at how hard the students were now fighting.

�hermione, hagrids group needs help by the side entrance of the castle,�
dumbledore�s voice came over the medallion. hermione looked around and realized
that it would take too long to head back up to the castle. the screech of an
animal caught her attention. hermione saw buckbeak and four other hippogriffs
in a paddock by hagrids house.

�come on!� she shouted to several students

�i�m coming with you,� lupin said as he ran over to her.

�hermione!� harry shouted. they looked at each other.

�i�ll come back,� she said as she turned to run towards the creatures. she bowed
quickly then mounted buckbeak. the group took to the air and flew low in
order to avoid the battle in the air. harry watched as they disappeared into the
night sky.

�watch out!� mad-eye shouted. instinctively harry dove to the group and looked up
to see bella and julia continuing their ongoing battle. julia did a back
flip to avoid a spell from bellatrix but she landed awkwardly and lost her wand.
bellatrix took aim at his aunt.

�expelliarmus!� harry shouted at the witch, this bought julia enough time to call
her wand back. bellatrix starred at harry for a moment.

�when i�m done with your aunt you�ll be next baby potter!� she spat.

�not if i have anything to say about it! stupefy maximus!� julia shouted as she
jumped in front of harry.

on the astronomy tower rosie was flying back and forth keeping dumbledore and
mcgonagall safe from any loose spells that might find their way over to them.
the old witch and wizard continued to watch the fighting from above. they were
winning in both the air and ground but students were still getting hurt.
there had only been a few other fatalities but they were aurors and members of the
last alliance.

�albus why hasn�t he shown himself?� mcgonagall said as she continued to watch the
battle in the air.

�he�s waiting minerva,� the headmaster said as he looked to the forest. �waiting
until absolutely necessary.�

�headmaster. hermione�s group is engaging the giants!� squeaked winky. dumbledore

turned his attention to the new battle to the side of the castle.

�stay on your hippogriffs!� hermione shouted.

�stun them and if they throw any objects stop them from hitting hagrid and his
group.� lupin instructed. hagrid had several cuts and bruises on his face
and body but was still fighting hard.

draco and ginny had their hands full with several death eaters who were going
after them. they both shot up straight in the air and took the death eaters
into the few clouds that filled the night. the split up and started going in
opposite directions once the death eaters had split to follow them ginny and
draco turned back around and started to fly straight at each other. and just
before they made contact draco dove to the ground and ginny shot higher into
the night, causing almost all of the death eaters to have a mid air collision.
ginny stopped and gave a victory shout, but clouds obscured her view of
draco who had been knocked off his broom by a death eater and was plummeting
towards earth. at that very moment hermione had started to fly high into the
air to get a better shot at a giant and as she climbed she noticed some one�s body
falling towards her.

�up!� she shouted to the creature and hermione started to head towards draco�s
falling body. the wind kept pushing him one way then another. and as buckbeak
flew underneath him his body was carried just a little bit behind hermione.
�draco! grab on!� draco twisted his body so he landed behind hermione on the
animal but bounced off. hermione reached out and grabbed draco�s hand right before
he completely fell.

�land granger!� draco pleaded. hermione started to guided buckbeak to head

downward but with the awkward weight on one side it was hard for the creature
to maneuver. hermione was quickly losing her grip on the young man. ginny started
to come down from up in the air when she saw hermione barley hanging
on to draco. she pushed her broom towards them.

�i can�t hang on draco,� hermione cried.

�get underneath the trees. they�ll break my fall,� draco said as his grip
continued to slowly slip.

�i�m sorry,� hermione said as she looked down at draco. draco looked up at her and
gave her a smile.

�so i get a couple of broken legs,� draco smirked. �better then being dead.� draco
then gave hermione a nod as his feet began to touch the tops of the trees.
ginny was and arm reach away from grabbing draco as hermione let go.
�noooooo!� ginny shouted. hermione looked up to see ginny dive after draco who was
now falling through the trees. his body never made it to the ground.
a large branch broke his fall. once ginny found him she slung him over her broom
and slowly flew up. hermione waited to see what happened, she breathed
a sigh of relief when she saw ginny flying with him

�if he dies it will be on your head!� ginny screamed at hermione.

�but ginny he told me,� but it was too late. ginny was already heading to the
castle.

lucious and mr. weasley were still fighting with each other only now they just
shouted instead of throwing spells at one another. as they fought mr. weasley
saw a shadowy figure emerge from the forest. it was voldemort and he was taking
aim for mad-eye.

�no,� mr. weasley muttered. he started to run towards alastor to warn him.
�alastor! behind you!� but moody couldn�t hear arthur over the other shouting
that was going on.

�weasley no!� lucius shouted as he began to follow mr. weasley.

�at last the great alastor moody will fall tonight,� voldemort hissed as he took
aim at moody. mad-eye realized he had let his guard down and slowly turned
to face the dark lord.

�i wont be the only one to fall tonight tom,� moody growled. only two people dared
to call the dark lord by his muggle name and one was about to die.

�avada kedavra!� voldemort screamed. moody braced himself for the end but all he
felt was someone shoving him to the ground. alastor looked up to see arthur
weasley�s body falling to the ground. before moody could get up a body fell on top
of him knocking him out and pinning him to the ground. lucius watched
in terror as arthur took the spell in the chest. sure lucius and arthur had their
disagreements on wizards but deep down lucius knew arthur was a good
man and had a family to support. he didn�t deserve to be cut down like an animal.
lucius� thoughts then went to draco and how much he had failed his son,
he failed to protect his wife he couldn�t do the same to his son. the instincts to
survive took over and lucius realized what he had to do. once voldemort
had moved away from arthur he quickly ran over and collected his body and headed
for the castle. as he got closer students realized who he was and guarded
the door.

�stop death eater!� a fourth year shouted.

�please let me through, he�s been hurt,� lucius shouted. the students recognized
the red hair and quickly nodded their head and opened the door for lucius.
the man franticly ran to the hospital wing and ran through the doors. he looked
around for someone to help him.

�lucius!� snape called out from giving a student a potion.

�severus help please,� he laid arthur on a bed. �can you save him?� snape
immediately recognized arthur and started to examine him. it didn�t take long
for snape to see that arthur was dead.

�was he hit with the killing curse?� snape softly asked.

�yes voldemort was trying to hit alastor moody but arthur pushed him out of the
way,� lucius huffed.

�there�s nothing i can do lucius,� snape sad sadly. a blood-curtailing scream came
from the other end of the hall as mrs. weasley saw arthur�s body on the
bed.

�dad?� a girls voice from several beds away asked. lucius looked up to see ginny
weasley holding draco�s hand.

�draco!� lucius breathed. he ran over towards his bed just as ginny got up and
looked over at her dad.

�what did you do to him!� ginny said between gritted teeth. lucius stopped short
and look at the young girl.

�i didn�t do anything,� lucius whispered. �your father saved moody�s life.�

�how?� ginny asked on the verge of tears.

�by giving up his own,� lucius too was beginning to feel overwhelmed, as he looked
around at all those who were hurt and fighting to live. his eyes returned
to ginny, she was trying to fight the tears that wanted to take over.

�how�s draco?� lucius asked.

�he�s gonna make it,� ginny chocked as she slowly headed over to her father. mrs.
wealsey finally made it to her husband�s body and began to sob as ginny
tried to comfort her.

�was it worth all this lucius,� snape asked. �was following him worth losing your
whole family over?�

�nothing is worth that severus,� lucius chocked back tears.

�voldemort�s been spotted on the battle field!� a student shouted.

�let us hope potter is the savior we all hope he is,� snape said as he looked over
to the four names, which were now being moved to the top of the board.
it now read. granger, hermione; potter, harry; potter, julia; weasley, ron.

�let us hope.�

a/n - ok i'm sorry this took a little longer then a week but work was very busy.
i'm not gonna make any promises on the date for the next chapter but just
know i'm going as fast as possible. you guys are great thanks for the reviews!

chapter 33 : let there be light

chapter 33: let there be light

julia was not going to let bellatrix escape with her life again. this deranged
human being had tortured people into insanity and killed a little boy. if
it took every ounce of julia�s strength, she would make sure this woman�s last
breath would be tonight.

�what�s the matter bella? tired?� julia taunted as they continued to weave between
those in the battle.

�i think i�ll keep you alive long enough for you to watch the dark lord kill your
nephew,� bella snapped back.

�i don�t think so. stupefy!� julia took a shot at bellatrix. the two continued
their game of cat and mouse while the battle raged on.

the original da had gathered towards the middle of the battlefield and were slowly
pushing the remaining death eaters back into the forest. whispers of
voldemort being seen had reached them but if the dark lord was on the field he was
staying away from harry and his group.

�fred, behind you,� harry shouted. the twin ducked just in time for harry to hit
the death eater with the stunning spell. just then the familiar cry of
buckbeak could be heard as hermione and lupin landed with their small group.

�how�s hagrid?� harry asked as he retreated from the front line.

�nothing madam pomfrey can�t fix,� lupin said as he dismounted from his
hippogriff.

�you alright,� harry asked as he helped hermione off buckbeak. she was still a
little shaken from the draco incident and a little upset that ginny would
think she would drop him on purpose. harry felt her conflict and made her look him
in the eye.

�not now,� she breathed.

�later then?� harry asked. she nodded her head in agreement then pulled out her
wand and started to walk back to the front line.

�harry you�re group is doing wonderfully but the death eaters could out flank us
from the left. hermione you come with me. have ron head to the right and
help with them,� lupin instructed. hermione reached out and squeezed harry�s hand
then left with lupin.

�ron,� harry called as he approached. �lupin�s worried about that group over
there,� he pointed to the right. �will you head over there and help catch them
up to us?�

�sure thing. luna! neville! george! come with me,� ron shouted as he ran over to
the right to help press the attack.

high above the battle dumbledore watched as the children pressed on. his heart was
heavy. he had just received word about arthur weasley and was told lucius
malfoy had brought him in. dumbledore looked up into the air and on the ground
once more before leaving the tower. he had instructed professor mcgonagall
to continue instructing the children while he tended to molly. he appeared in the
great hall moments later and watched as ginny tried to comfort her mother.
his eyes glanced over at lucius who was sitting by draco�s bed. dumbledore decided
to deal with the older malfoy first. he slowly made his way over to
him and cleared his throat.

�lucius,� dumbledore said with out any emotion in his voice. the man quickly stood
and stared at the old wizard. �why are you here?�

�for my son,� lucius sneered. he still harbored resentment towards the old wizard.
�well since you are a guest here then i will ask you to keep your mouth shut. if
you insult one student or parent who aren�t of pure blood, you will discover
why tom fears me,� dumbledore�s emotions over arthur�s death took over for a
moment. �i will make sure the ministry hears of your deeds in bringing arthur�s
body back here.�

�weasley and i had our differences when it came to wizards and families, but i�m
not a monster albus,� lucius insisted.

�no, you only served one,� the headmaster whispered. dumbledore turned and walked
away from lucius. the man sat back down again and looked at his son. right
then he made the decision to only do what was right for draco from now on. he
might still think that muggles were not worth his time but his beliefs had
already cost him his wife. he refused to let them take his son as well.

molly�s sobs had quieted down but her tears still flowed freely down her face.
ginny stood next to her mother in shock, trying to help her mother but still
coming to terms with her father�s death. this family was one of the most selfless
ones dumbledore had known and it pained him to see them pay such a price.
charlie might never walk again and now arthur was gone. never before had
dumbledore let his emotions get the best of him. the old wizard knelt down next
to molly.

�molly,� he whispered ever so gently. the woman turned with her tear-stained
cheeks and disheveled red hair.

�why?� she softly sobbed. �why, arthur?�

�he saved a man�s life. he did what he felt was right and he will forever be
remembered for his sacrifice,� dumbledore spoke. �i will go retrieve fred and
george from the battle. madam hooch has already instructed bill to come back to
the castle.�

�what about ron?� ginny asked the headmaster.

�ron must stay out there to help harry,� the old wizard could see the young girls
fear for her brother. ginny just nodded her head. dumbledore stood and
headed for the door. he calmly walked past the row of children guarding the
castle.

�go get�em headmaster,� a young gryffindor shouted. dumbledore smiled at the

student and continued to walk towards the fighting.

all night neville had kept and eye on julia and bellatrix. deep down he wanted to
be the one to end her life; she had taken his parents and now a dear friend
from him. he started to shadow their movements as they continued to move around.
finally bellatrix grabbed a broom lying on the ground. she was quickly
in the air and high above the trees when julia caught up to where bella had been.

�she�s in the air,� neville shouted to julia.

�thanks!� julia smiled at the young man. she closed her eyes for a moment and with
in seconds her broom came flying out of nowhere to her side. she mounted
her broom and rocketed off the ground. neville hadn�t flown a broom since first
year but he couldn�t help the impulse to get revenge for his parents and
dean. he found another broom on the ground and slowly mounted it. he took a deep
breath and pushed off the ground and into the air.
harry couldn�t help but glance over at his friends every other minute or so. he
knew that both of them could handle themselves but he just needed to make
sure. he decided to glance behind him to see if any death eaters had gotten past
them. he saw dumbledore talking with fred and george, both of whom seemed
upset and ran to the castle. ha retreated from the fighting to talk with the
headmaster.

�professor,� harry could tell something was wrong. �what�s happened?� dumbledore
was surprised to see harry running over to him. as the old wizard looked
at harry, he noticed a shadow far in the distance over the boy�s shoulder.
�professor?� dumbledore turned his attention to harry.

�i�m afraid something has happened harry,� the old wizard began. �mr. weasley
saved alastor�s life,� dumbledore looked away.

�well that�s good isn�t it?� harry had a feeling he knew how mr. weasley had saved
moody�s life but he didn�t want to believe it.

�arthur was hit with the killing curse,� dumbledore said slowly. harry slowly
turned to look at his friend with the red hair.

�that�s why you sent fred and george inside?� he muttered, his voice betraying his
emotion. he felt numb all over. the weasley�s had taken him in and cared
for him since his very first year. these people were his family. they didn�t care
who he was or who he was meant to be, they loved him, harry the boy not
the name or legend. for a moment harry thought he was going to be sick until a
slender hand lightly grabbed his shoulder.

�don�t let his sacrifice be for nothing harry,� dumbledore whispered. the young
man looked up at the old wizard.

�i won�t,� harry�s voice was back. dumbledore patted the boy�s shoulder and the
two slowly walked to the front lines together.

in the air neville was having a hard time keeping up with julia and bellatrix.
they were faster and more confident on their brooms. it wasn�t until they
started to head for the quidditch pitch then neville began to catch up with them.
he flew to one of the stands and quietly landed as he watched the two
witches throw one volley after another.

�it�s over bella, and you know it,� julia barrel rolled to the right then turned
behind her to throw a spell at bella. �cruccio!� the spell barley missed
bellatrix, who was now preparing her own attack.

�the only thing i know is how much i�m going to enjoy killing you!� bella did a
loop then shouted, �avada kedavra!� julia easily dodged the spell then came
around for another pass at bella. the two witches were now face to face.
bellatrix�s back was to neville. the boy had a clear shot at hitting her with
a spell. his hand was shaking as he raised his wand.

�this will be the last night you draw breath bella, you ran like a coward last
time we faced. if i have to chase you around the world i�ll do it,� julia�s
cold stare was unnerving.

the words were on the tip of neville�s tongue. �ah-ava,� his whole body was
shaking as he tried to whisper the words. he had never wanted to cause anyone
pain let alone want to kill them. he swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
�you caught me by surprise last time potter, i�m ready for you tonight,� bellatrix
hissed. �instead of killing you maybe i�ll just torture you into insanity
like the longbottom�s. those pathetic fools didn�t even put up a fight,� a wicked
smile spread across her face. as julia stared at bellatrix something
caught her eye. looking past her, julia saw neville with his wand pointing at the
witch. she could tell he was shaking.

�i�d watch your words bella,� julia muttered.

�and why is that? is their poor little pathetic son going to come after me? he
disgraces the wizarding name. he wouldn�t have the guts to kill me!� her
laughter was even more taunting then her words. neville took a deep breath then
pointed his wand again at the witch, this time his arm was steady as was
his words.

�bye bella,� julia smiled as she backed away from the witch.

�avada kedavra!� neville shouted. bella turned on her broom just in time to see
the spell hit her in the chest. her body fell into the blackness of night
and it wasn�t until they heard the bone cracking thud on the ground that neville
and julia knew she was finally dead. julia flew over to the stands and
watched neville for a moment his eyes never leaving the ground.

�i�m glad she�s dead,� neville whispered.

�so am i neville,� julia slowly put her arm around the boy�s shoulders. �so am i.�
they continued to stand there for several minutes. it wasn�t until the
moon peeked out from behind a cloud that they finally saw her body lying twisted
on the ground.

�do you think i�ll go to azkaban,� neville�s eyes were glossing over with tears.

�no neville,� julia whispered. �i�ll make sure of it.�

�some how i thought that if i were the one to kill her,� neville�s voice was
unsteady as he trailed off. he continued to look at the ground.

�i�m sure when you tell your parents about what you did they�ll be grateful,�
julia continued to watch the boy closely.

�no they won�t,� he shook his head. �i killed someone, just like bellatrix � �

�no!� julia grabbed neville by his shoulders and forced him to look at her. �she
killed with no remorse. she enjoyed killing neville. you�re nothing like
her,� julia paused. �remember that neville.�

harry�s scar slowly prickled as he continued to fight death eaters. he was

beginning to feel dizzy as he looked around for voldemort. he dropped to his
knees and through his connection began to call for julia, who was still with
neville when she felt harry�s calls for help. julia quickly mounted her broom
in a panic.

�what is it?� neville asked.

�harry�s in trouble,� julia breathed. neville grabbed his broom and they quickly
took to the air.
ron and hermione had also felt harry�s call for help. hermione was the first to
reach harry. she quickly grabbed his arm, when their skin made contact she
could feel him relax. at the same time she also heard a man cry out in pain. both
ron and hermione helped harry to his feet. dumbledore was quickly by
their side. the death eaters slowly retreated as a black figure finally made his
presence known. the students slowly gathered behind dumbledore and harry.

�i must say dumbldore you�ve trained them well,� voldemort hissed as he approached
the group.

�it�s over tom, you reign of fear and terror ends here,� the headmaster took out
his wand.

�oh no dumbledore, that is were you are wrong,� voldemort said calmly. he then
began to mutter something. dumbeldore protectively stood in front of harry
and the rest of the students. a black mist slowly started to roll towards them.

�shields up,� the old wizard shouted, but the mist continued its slow attack on
the headmaster. it ever so slowly seeped past his shield and the moment
dumbledore breathed it in he began to spasm.

�ventus tempestas!� hermione shouted. a mighty wind came rushing from behind her
sending the black mist over the lake. it slowly evaporated but hermione�s
attention turned to dumbledore.

�clever girl, but the spell has already entered his system, you�ve merely slowed
down the inevitable. not even his precious phoenix can save him now,� voldemort
cackled.

�why use a phoenix when we have roise,� hermione smiled. the bird cried out as it
swooped down to pick up dumbledore. voldemort watched the bird and hermione�s
wordless communication. seconds later the bird was in the air carrying dumbledore
back to the castle. lupin now slowly made his way to the front of the
line.

the battle in the air was still raging as julia and neville tried to make their
way back to harry. julia was dodging left and right trying to avoid an unnecessary
fighting. slowly she began to feel d�j� vu and then it hit her, this was her
vision. these next few moments would determine the outcome of many lives.
her heart raced as she tried to get to harry.

�scared potter, you no longer have dumbledore coddling you?� voldemort taunted.

�you wish,� harry snapped back as he took a step forward, separating himself from
the group. hermione and ron followed each flanking harry.

�you think that silly spell dumbledore performed on you is going to prevent me
from killing you potter?� voldemort hissed.

�no,� harry said calmly. �i�m going to prevent you from killing me . . . riddle!�
harry never flinched as he looked at the dark wizard. his mind flooded
with memories of his years at hogwarts. his first year discovering the world of
wizards; the second year uncovering the mysteries of the chamber of secrets;
finding out about siruis in his third year; the tri-wizards tournament fourth
year; the prophecy reveled in the fifth year and now here in his sixth year
finally facing the wizard who caused so much horror in his life.

julia was beginning to get clear of the battle in the air when she heard neville
cry out. she turned and saw him trying to shake a death eater. quickly
turning around julia pushed her broom to help neville.

�neville duck!� julia shouted as she approached. he bowed his head down on the
broom. �stupefy!�

�julia! watch out!� neville shouted. as julia tried to maneuver away from whatever
danger neville was warning her about she felt a spell hit her broom causing
her to fall off. the ground rushing towards her was the last thing julia
remembered.

harry felt his connection to julia suddenly disappear. he glanced back to ron and
hermione both looked worried. they all knew that in order to protect each
other they needed all four of them.

�i think i�ll show your fellow students the lesson for defying me,� voldemort said
as he raised his wand. the trio matched his action and now it was a matter
of who was going to attach first. �cruccio!�

�protego maximus!� the three friends shouted.

the black abyss julia�s consciousness was swimming in was so deep and thick she
couldn�t fight her way out of it. she tried to will herself to wake up but
her fall was so bad julia doubted she�d wake up. the spell was causing her senses
to scream out, harry was in trouble and she couldn�t do anything about
it. she had failed him, and this thought caused her to give up her battle with the
blackness. she was about to finally fade into the dark when a soft light
began emanating.

�julia,� a voice whispered. �its time to call on us for help.�

�james, is that you?� julia asked.

�time to get up sis,� the voice of her dead brother echoed in her head a moment
before the sounds of reality came crashing down on her. julia slowly opened
her eyes, which were out of focus. her head was pounding and her body felt raw.
her eyes slowly came back into focus and she turned to see harry and the
students producing shield charms to protect them selves from voldemort�s attack.
julia noticed the inside of her right hand was cut. remembering a side
effect of the spell they performed julia quickly called for her wand and slowly
started to get up.

�your shields wont work against this potter,� voldemort�s wand slowly raised.
julia was wobbly, and when she tried to stand, she saw voldemort about to
perform the killing curse.

�blood of our blood protect us!� julia shouted as she pointed to the sky.
voldemort and harry turned to see julia pointing her wand at the sky. hermione
and ron grabbed harry�s hand as they felt the air trickle with electricity.

�time to meet your parents potter,� voldemort cried out. an explosion of light
cascaded upon harry, hermione, and ron. the light was blinding and julia
had to shield her face. the three friends looked up towards the heavens, until
three figures appeared in front of them. james, lily and sirius now stood
between voldemort and the children. just as suddenly as the light had appeared,
voldemort screamed out in pain. he tried to shield himself from the light
but he soon felt his skin begin to burn.
�it�s over tom,� lily�s ghostly figure said. voldemort�s shrieks of pain echoed
into the night. his very being was dying. he tried to think of anything
that could possibly save him. he spotted a broom and with all his strength
summoned it to him. he haphazardly flew into the air as far away from the light
as possible. the three white figures turned to the trio.

�you�ll have to face him again harry,� sirius sadly said.

�but you�ll be ready,� james smiled.

�we�re proud of you honey,� lily�s white hand gently caressed harry�s cheek.

�watch over these two hermione,� sirius laughed. james looked over at ron.

�we�re watching over your father ron. he�s in good hands,� james looked at the
confused red headed boy.

�we love you harry,� lily smiled before the figures began to blend in with the
blinding light surrounding them.

�don�t ever forget it son,� his fathers voice lingered in the air as the light
began to retreat back to the sky. as the light left so did the energy of
the foursome. they all collapsed to the ground. the remaining death eaters fled
for their life. the air squadron landed along with neville. they all continued
to look at the trio�s bodies then they would glance over at julia body. neville
was the first to act. he slowly walked over to harry�s body. seamus followed
his lead and the two friends hoisted harry�s body onto his shoulders. luna and
susan bones did the same with hermione�s body while roger davies and zacharias
smith grabbed ron's. lupin and tonks walked over and grabbed julia's body leading
the group back to the castle. the students parted as their hero's bodies
were slowly marched back up to the castle. the slow procession continued towards
the castle, as they entered the great hall all movement stopped. the crowd
watched, as the bodies were place side by side. mcgonagall pressed through the
crowd, once she reached the beds she saw lupin.

�is it over?� mcgonagall whispered.

�for now.�

a/n - again i'm sorry it's taking so long. i'm really going to try and get the
next chapter out as soon as i can. thank you for sticking with me! you guys
are great!

chapter 34 : repercussions

chapter 34: repercussions

the vigil had been going on for almost three days. anyone involved in the battle
refused to leave the great hall until the four heroes woke up. it was a
confusing time for everyone. the world they had known was now turned upside down.
dumbledore was very sick and was kept away from the students and teachers.
mcgonagall who would normally be the next voice of reason was dealing with the
ministry of magic, while snape continued to try and help madam pomfrey as
best as he could. lupin refused to leave harry and julia�s side even to eat. it
was in this time that a new leader emerged. whispers of his use of the
killing curse continued to spread like wild fire around the great hall but no one
dared to ask him. he was pulled into a meeting with the ministry hours
after the battle, but again no one had the courage to ask him what happened.
neville no longer looked like the goofy, unsure of himself kid the slytherin�s
would pick on. he was confident but behind the confidence lingered the scare from
his dark deed. he had told his grandmother about what happened in the
quidditch pitch once things had settled down.

�sometimes the only way to deal with evil is to use evil neville,� his grandmother
whispered as she hugged the young boy. neville was now coordinating the
effort to take care of the families who might have lost someone during the battle.

�dobby,� neville said softly. �have any of the weasley�s eaten their food?�

�no sir,� dobby looked down at the floor. his big bright eyes brimmed with tears.
�professor lupin hasn�t eaten either.� neville nodded his head then slowly
walked to the area in which the weasley family was held. madam pomfrey and
professor mcgonagall put up walls to give them privacy. they were all gathered
by charlie�s bed. once in a great while one of the twins or ginny would come out
and grab some type of drink to give to their mother, but other than that
no one had seen them. neville slowly pulled the curtain divider open and peeked in
to see mrs. weasley holding charlie�s hand, while the twins and bill
were standing so ginny could sleep on the bed next to charlie�s. mrs. weasley
looked up and saw neville.

�neville dear,� mrs. weasley�s voice was horse and could barley reach over a
whisper.

�mrs. weasley,� neville slowly entered the room and closed the curtains behind
him. �dobby told me none of you have eaten.�

�oh we�re find dear,� mrs. weasley tried to smile.

�please mrs. weasley, ron is going to need you at full strength when he wakes up,�
neville said softly. the mention of ron seemed to snap mrs. weasley out
of her funk.

�he�s right mum,� fred walked over to his mother and put a tender hand on her
shoulder. �we�ll all try to eat if you try.� mrs. weasley gave a quick nod.

�i�ll have dobby bring you something right away,� neville began to leave when he
felt a hand grab his arm. it was george.

�how�s lupin?� george whispered. neville just shook his head, then left. neville
found dobby and gave him instructions to send food to the weasley�s. the
foursome had been kept together and unlike the weasleys, they were in plain view
for everyone to see. people took turns watching over them, though it was
normally a crowd that watched over them. as neville approached, the group parted,
he could see lupin sitting between harry and julia.

�how�s he doing?� neville asked seamus.

�hasn�t moved a muscle,� seamus whispered. the inner circle of the crowd was all
gryffindor. they were protective of their classmates and wanted to make
sure no one could disrupt them. neville stepped up behind lupin and gently tapped
his shoulder.

�professor,� neville whispered.

�hello neville,� lupin eyes were red rimmed from lack of sleep and his voice was
scratchy.
�they would want you to eat sir,� neville ever so slowly sat down on the edge of
julia�s bed.

�when i graduated all those years ago i never imagined i�d be the only one left,�
lupin muttered while looking at julia. �first peter betrayed lilly and
james to voldemort, and then i lost sirius,� silent tears welled up in lupin�s
eyes. �harry and julia are all i have left,� lupin whispered before looking
neville in the eye. �i can�t lose them too.�

�you wont professor,� neville said cautiously. �but you�re no good to them if
you�re in a hospital bed from lack of eating and sleeping.� lupin gave a slight
grunt.

�you�re right neville,� lupin said as he stood. the professor tried to stand but
almost passed out. luckily neville and seamus caught him and helped him
over to a bed next to julia. within moments lupin was asleep, leaving neville
completely alone to deal with everyone.

�neville,� seamus said as his friend took lupin�s seat between harry and julia.
�is it true, what people er sayin�?�

�what are they saying?� neville looked over at julia then realized that someone
was walking up to him. luna walked from the row of beds on the opposite
side of the foursome.

�they�re saying you killed bellatrix,� the young girl bent down so that neville
would look her in the eye. �is it true neville? did you kill her?� neville�s
eye�s never left julia�s face.

�it�s true,� neville whispered as people closest too him gasped while others asked
what he had just said. �i killed her.� neville�s eyes were heavy from
lack of sleep. he hadn�t realized that he wasn�t taking care of himself.

�here neville,� luna took neville�s hand and guided him to a bed behind harry�s.
�we�ll wake you if anything happens.�

�now what?� a first year asked.

�we help those we can,� luna said as she now took the watch. dumbledore would have
been proud of his students, they had reversed roles and were now taking
care of the people who were supposed to take care of them.

the next night consciousness began to resonate within harry. the first thing he
was aware of was his connection to his friends who were also waking up.
whispers of conversations began to fill harry�s ears.

�how�s the headmaster,� lupin�s voice was the first one harry recognized.

�i don�t know, poppy hasn�t said much,� the voice of mcgonagall was the next.
harry�s instinct was to speak but his mouth was so dry he couldn�t form the
words. he forced his eye open, despite how heavy they felt.

�wa � wa,� harry tried to say, he took a hard swallow and tried again. �water,�
his voice scratchy and low.

�oh my,� mcgonagall breathed as she saw the foursome�s eye�s open and close as the
group tried to wake themselves up. she then noticed harry slowly reach
his hand up trying to get her attention. �remus they�re awake!� mcgonagall
practically shouted. the normal crowd that watched over the heroes doubled in
size instantly as everyone tried to get a look at them. lupin, neville, luna and
mcgonagall gently held their heads as they gave each of the foursome water.

�what happened?� julia spoke first as lupin gently guided her head back down onto
the pillow.

�you don�t remember?� lupin asked.

�i remember a bright light,� ron said as he tried to push himself up on his

elbows.

�i remember seeing sirius,� hermione said after taking another sip of water. at
that moment all four sat up and remembered.

�voldemort!� they shouted at the same time.

�gone,� lupin helped julia sit up. �i don�t know what you were doing to him, but
he fled before you could completely destroy him.�

�where�s dumbledore?� harry asked as he sat on the edge of his bed. both
mcgonagall and lupin looked at each other.

�he�s sick,� hermione answered. �that black mist was not just a spell, it was
something else.� ron started looking around for his family.

�where are my mum and dad?� ron asked as he tried to stand. silence fell upon the
crowd no one had the heart to be the first to tell ron about his father.

�something happened to your father ron,� the rough voice of moody broke the
silence. the old wizard stepped forward. he had just woken up earlier that day.
�i wasn�t paying attention and voldemort snuck up behind me.� moody trailed off.
then james� words came rushing back to ron.

�he�s gone,� ron whispered. lucius malfoy had pushed his way through the crowd
when he heard the four had woken up.

�he died bravely,� lucius said. his voice startled everyone but ron who had seen
him approach.

�why are you here,� ron growled.

�ron,� hermione tried to step in front of ron but he sidestepped her.

�get out,� ron continued his low growl.

�mr. malfoy brought you father�s body back,� mcgonagall explained as she stepped
in front of ron.

�probably so the ministry wouldn�t send him to azkaban,� ron snapped back.

�i tried to stop him, against my better judgment but i did,� lucius eyed the young
weasley.

�i�d mind your place lucius,� julia now stood right in front of the former death
eater.
�if it isn�t the famed julia potter,� lucius snickered. �it would seem that bella
lost her battle against you.�

�i had help,� julia smiled.

�oh,� lucius raised his eyebrow.

�i killed bellatrix,� neville stepped forward.

�you,� lucius scoffed.

�yes he did,� julia took another step forward so that she was only inches from the
older malfoy�s face.

�enough!� came a wheezing cough from an old wizard.

�dumbledore!� harry cried out.

�headmaster what are you doing out of bed,� madam pomfrey looked like she was
about to have a conniption. the crowd turned to surround the tired wizard,
who was leaning on tonks for support.

�lucius, please check on draco while i speak with young mr. weasley,� dumbledore
eyed the man. lucius bowed his head then left to sit with draco. dumbledore
gingerly walked over to the four heroes.

�ron,� dumbledore�s voice was gentle and soft as he walked over to the red head.
�you�re father gave his life to save another. he will forever be known
as a hero in our fight against evil,� dumbledore put his hand on ron�s shoulder as
he spoke.

�where is he?� ron asked, his voice his voice devoid of any emotion.

�they�re preparing him for his funeral,� dumbledore whispered trying to keep the
conversation as intimate as possible.

�can i see him?� ron asked.

�of course.� several minutes later the foursome along with dumbledore, mcgonagall,
lupin and tonks walked to a small private room. the door opened to reveal
a room filled with the dead. fifteen in all had lost their lives in the battle, it
was a small number but one dumbledore didn�t want to have to face at
all. dean had been the only student to lose his life, while arthur was the only
non-auror/ last alliance adult to lose his life. they walked the long row
of lifeless faces until dean�s appeared. they were all in plain gowns at the
moment. the families would choose dress robes before the bodies were taken
to the funeral pyre. the three gryffindor�s gathered around their friend�s body
for a moment to pay their respect. from dean they moved on to mr. weasley.
ron very slowly reached for his father�s hand, which was so ice cold. there were
so many things ron wanted to say but didn�t know where to begin.

�mr. weasley,� harry spoke first trying to take any pressure off of ron. �you were
like the father i�d never had. you took me in and treated me like another
son even when it was dangerous to the rest of your family. i�ll never forget you,�
harry finished while trying to battle the lump that had formed in his
throat.

�you were always asking me questions about muggles and you treated me like an
equal and not a child. your thirst for knowledge and your passion for a world
outside your own made you more unique then any other wizard i know. i�ll miss you
greatly,� hermione added. julia stepped forward and cleared her throat.

�all i can do is thank you arthur, for taking care of my nephew when i couldn�t. i
know that james and lilly thank you as well.� finally ron�s turn came
to say some parting words.

�dad,� ron started. �i know i wasn�t the best student and i know i gave you and
mum a lot of scares over the years but any time i was in danger i knew you
guys would be there for me,� ron paused. �i�m just sorry i couldn�t be there for
you,� ron�s voice failed for a moment. �i promise to look over ginny and
mum and i�ll watch over your muggle collection,� the young man was running out of
words to say. �i love you dad.�

several days later those words were repeated as the large mass of people gathered
to pay their respects to the fifteen dead. the funeral pyres were constructed
by the lake on the very ground on which they had fought on. the house elves had
done such a wonderful job cleaning up the field, you would never know peopled
walked on the grass, let alone fought on it. the dead were dressed in their finest
robes and held on to their wands in both hands. dean�s family had been
contacted by dumbledore and mcgonagall personally brought them to hogwarts. his
mother and stepfather were in awe of everything around them. they lined
his funeral pyre with tokens and things dean loved about both worlds; a jersey
from the west ham football team, his gryffindor quidditch outfit, and a
picture of dean with his family.

�when he sent letters home telling us about all the wonderful things he was
learning i never really understood it. i also never understood why dean�s real
father walked out on us, but now,� his mother trailed off as she looked at her
dead son. �now i understand they both were fighting against evil. but what
brings me comfort is knowing how much he was loved,� tears flowed freely down the
woman�s face. seamus stepped forward to say a few words about his best
friend.

�gryffindor will never forget yer,� seamus�s voice failed. �i�ll never forget
yer.� dean�s mother went over and gave seamus a hug.

�it is now time to send them on their final journey,� dumbledore�s voice echoed
over the crowd. in unison those gather placed their hoods over they heads
in a sign of respect for the dead. a friend or family member of the dead went over
to a large bonfire and grabbed a torch. ron was the only weasley that
seemed composed enough to perform the ritual. charlie had been brought out in a
chair with the levitation spell on it and had taken several pain potions
so that he could watch. the torchbearers raised their torches to signal they were
ready.

�may these lights guide you on your next journey but may they also help you to
always find your way home,� dumbledore bowed his head. �and now a little
irish blessing to send our friend on their way,� dumbledore stepped back. julia
now stood between the rows of pyres.

�be they kings, or poets, or farmers � they're a people of great worth � they keep
company with the angels � and bring a bit of heaven here to earth,� as
julia finished her blessing the torches were lowered and the pyres lit. the
firelight illuminated the lake and matched the fiery sunset above. harry watched
as the fire reflected in ron�s eyes, which had been vacant to any emotions since
he was told about his father. harry worried that this fire he was now
seeing in ron�s eyes would become a permanent fixture until they faced voldemort
again. a soft hand weaved its way into harry�s. he looked up and saw hermione
watching dean and mr. weasley�s body burn away into nothingness.

�he�ll pay for what he�s done,� she whispered. even with the hood up harry could
see her face glow from the fire light, with a small stream of tears accented
her features.

�yes he will,� harry squeezed her hand as he turned back to look into the fire.
his eyes then followed the line of smoke as it rose from the pyre to the
heavens. harry then remembered his father�s words and knew that both mr. weasley
and dean were watching over them.

a/n - the next chapter is the last one. just wanted to give everyone fair warning,
plus it will be posted before the 16th. as you might have guessed i am
planning on writing a sequal. but i'm gonna take a month or two off before i start
working on it. as always i can't thank you all anough for the kind words.
you guys keep me going.

chapter 35 : the new world

chapter 35: the new world

nothing would ever be the same. these words played over and over again in harry�s
mind following the days after mr. weasley�s funeral. never again would
he be able to walk the halls of hogwarts without thinking about the battle, dean
or mr. weasley. they were everywhere in the castle and any time harry
would look at ron or mount a broom they would enter his mind for a moment. it was
the least they deserved.

it was finally the day in which everyone was leaving to go home. the students who
had been put to sleep had rejoined their classmates after the funerals.
the great hall was filled with copies of the daily prophet, everyone wanting to
read about their friends. dumbledore was allowed to contact the paper and
give them the full account of the battle. a large picture of mr. weasley and dean
were on the front page with the title �heroes among us�. the article
was probably the most tasteful one harry had ever read. it gave a complete
accurate account of everything that happened. from the dragon attack earlier
in the day to the blinding white light that caused the dark lord to flee.
dumbledore however did leave a few things out, mostly about the spell that was
performed on the four heroes. the trio now sat eating their breakfast and
preparing to part from one another.

�now that the dursley�s officially moved to the country, where are you gonna
stay?� ron asked as he piled his plate full of eggs and sausage. harry smiled
inwardly as he watched his friend eat, as long as ron had is appetite harry knew
his friend would be ok.

�grimmauld place,� harry smiled thinking about having a summer free of the
dursley�s and free of fear. �what about you?�

�mum�s looking for a place to rent close to st. mungo�s,� ron muttered as he ate
some toast.

�why don�t you stay at grimmauld? i have more then enough room,� the thought of
living alone in the house seemed a little depressing to harry.

�thanks mate but we don�t want to be a burden,� ron said. harry gave ron a look
like he was crazy. he then looked around for mrs. weasley and saw her eating
at the opposite end of the gryffindor table. he quickly got up and walked over to
her.

�mrs. weasley,� he said softly as he knelt down to talk with her.

�harry,� she gave a tired smile. �how are you, dear?�

�well i�d feel a lot better knowing your family was staying at grimmauld,� the
young man smiled. �please mrs. weasley, you�re family has done so much for
me.�

�oh harry i don�t know how long we�d be � �

�doesn�t matter,� harry cut the woman off. �you all are welcome to live there as
long as you want,� harry tried to smile. �besides, what will i do all summer
by myself?�

�what about julia, won�t she be staying with you?� mrs. weasley asked. harry and
julia had barley had any time to talk since they had woken up. she had
to go to the ministry with the members of the last alliance and talk about their
plans to look for voldemort.

�i don�t know,� harry looked down at the floor. �but i have plenty of room, and
you�ll be close to st mungo�s.� mrs. weasley thought for a moment.

�we�ll earn our keep, i�ll cook the meals and i�ll have fred and george give you
rent money,� mrs. weasley started to rummage through her bag.

�no,� harry put a calming hand on hers. �you�re my family,� he said ever so
gently. �as long as i know you all are safe and near me that�s all the payment
i need.� mrs. weasley quickly wrapped harry into a bear hug, nearly squeezing the
stuffing out of him.

�thank you,� mrs. weasley whispered. �we�re going to st. mungo�s from king cross
to check in on charlie, draco and dumbledore, once we know they�re settled
in we�ll come by the house.�

�would you mind if i joined you? i want to make sure dumbledore is ok,� harry
asked.

�of course,� mrs. weasley smiled. harry started to get up and leaved when mrs.
weasley put a hand on his arm. �you are truly a great wizard harry, your
parents would be so proud of you.�

�thank you,� he smiled as he headed back towards his friends. later that day the
students boarded the train. harry was desperately searching the platform
for julia, lupin or hagrid but he couldn�t find any of them.

�you going to leave with out sayin� goodbye are yer�s?� hargid�s voice boomed.

�of course not,� harry walked over to his large friend. �will i see you this
summer?�

�oh i reckon you will,� hagrid smiled. he had taken quite the beating from the
other giants but he had recovered and now only had small cuts on his arms
and face. �especially since your aunt has taken over the order while dumbledore is
sick.�
�she has?� again harry felt out of the loop again. why was julia not contacting
him or asking about him? the train�s whistle blew indicating the final boarding
call.

�you best be getting on the train harry. i�ll see you at st. mungo�s,� hagrid
winked before walking away. harry boarded the train and found hermione and
ron standing in the hallway. apparently everyone from the battle wanted to sit in
the compartment the trio was sitting in. so harry decided they all could
fit in the dinning car. harry sat in the middle and watched as friends recounted
some of their adventures through out the year. what made harry laugh was
that the students didn�t necessarily want to talk with harry, just be near him. so
many things had changed but harry was still alive and still fighting,
he was the one constant in all the chaos. so harry was content to just sit and
watch as people would tell stories, then shout out to him a question, which
he would answer. it was during the train ride that harry noticed the tension
between hermione and ginny.

�hermione,� harry whispered. she was sitting next to him in the booth they had
taken, while ron and luna sat across from them. �during the battle when you
came back from helping hagrid. something was wrong.�

�it�s draco,� hermione said as she looked over at ginny. �i saw him falling and
tried to catch him but i couldn�t hold on. he told me to fly above some
trees and drop him once his feet were touching the top of them. as i let him go
ginny came flying by, she thinks i dropped him on purpose,� hermione looked
at harry. �i wouldn�t do that harry, even if draco hadn�t changed.� harry quickly
wrapped hermione in a hug. he knew she was telling the truth, he could
feel it but you can�t explain a feeling to a friend.

�i�m sure once draco wakes up he�ll explain everything,� harry said before kissing
the top of hermione�s head. as the train got closer to king cross it
dawned on harry that he was going to have to leave hermione. a thought he wasn�t
too happy about, especially with voldemort still out there. after a moment,
harry saw ron and hermione looking over at him. he realized they had felt his
worries. this connection was still a strange thing for harry, even though
it had technically saved his life. however the connection was a little weak due to
the fourth element being so far away.

�don�t you worry mr. potter,� hermione smiled. �i�ll be visiting you this summer.�

�i�ll keep an eye on him hermione,� ron smiled. �somebody�s got to keep him out of
trouble.�

�then it looks like it will be me, since your middle name is trouble,� added luna.
the group laughed, a sound that was music to harry�s ears. they all would
move past the scars of this battle, harry was certain of it. an hour later the
massive group of students gathered on the platform. the camaraderie this
group now had would last them all a lifetime. goodbyes were shared, addresses were
exchanged and promises made to visit new friends. after several minutes,
children began to filter through the wall. harry, hermione and ron were talking
and weren�t even paying attention until hermione�s parents called out her
name. the trio stopped and looked at each other, splitting up was probably the
toughest thing they had to do. hermione put on her best smile and gave ron
a kiss on the cheek.

�please keep me updated on charlie�s condition, i�ll probably come visit in a

couple of weeks if he�s still at st. mungo�s,� hermione said while hugging
her friend.

�take your time with your parents,� ron whispered back. �i�ll write you everyday,�
ron said as he pulled out of the hug. �i promise.� hermione then said
her goodbyes to luna and neville. she turned and looked at harry.

�promise me you�ll be careful,� harry said as hermione slid her arms around his
waist. they held each other for several minutes, each not wanting to be
the first one to let go. �i love you� harry whispered into her hair.

�and i you,� her eyes were wide and vulnerable as she looked up at harry.

�hermione,� her mother called out. �it�s time sweetheart.� to everyone�s surprise,
including harry�s, hermione crashed her lips on to the young mans. when
they parted harry had the goofiest grin on his face.

�just remember,� hermione whispered. �the ones we love never truly leave us.� and
with that hermione slowly started to back away. they continued to hold
each other�s hands until their very fingertips were left and when the physical
connection was lost harry desperately held on to the mental one. it wasn�t
until hermione was out of sight that harry figured out why hermione had said that
last phrase. sirius had spoken those exact words to harry in his third
year, right before taking off on buckbeak.

half an hour later harry was watching the weasley�s make sure charlie was
comfortable. the healers at st. mungo�s were optimistic that he might regain the
use of his legs. as the day went on, harry noticed ginny walk over to draco�s bed,
which conveniently was across from charlie�s. in fact, harry noticed
that the entire ward was full of everyone from the battle, save one. dumbledore
had his own private room just across the hall from the ward. harry learned
that dumbledore had insisted on it. harry made his way over to the room and
quietly entered. the old wizard was sleeping. harry took a seat next to the
bed and just watched as dumbledore�s chest slowly rose and fell. the young man�s
eyes became heavy and soon harry was trying to keep himself awake.

�you don�t need to watch over me harry,� came the raspy voice of the headmaster.
�i don�t plan on leaving any time soon.�

�professor!� harry snapped out of his daze.

�yes i�m alive, and plan on staying that way for a while,� the wizard coughed.

�save your strength professor,� harry said as he gave dumbledore a glass of water
from his trey.

�i fear this next year will be difficult harry,� the headmaster spoke softly.
�voldemort is like a wounded animal. anything that comes near it can provoke
it or cause it to do bad things.�

�don�t worry,� harry said. �i�ll be careful.�

�good,� dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment. �harry,� he said suddenly.

�i�m here,� harry scooted closer to the old wizard.

�i�m proud of you,� the wizard yawned before falling back asleep. harry sat
stunned for a moment he never thought praise from dumbledore would feel so good.
a sad smile formed on the young boys face. he knew with hermione and ron�s help
they could find a cure for the headmaster.

�harry,� a hushed whisper came from the door. harry turned to see julia standing
in the doorway. �it�s time to go home.� there was a time when harry would
only associate that word with hogwarts but now harry could associate it to
wherever his family was. the young man got up and left the old wizard to rest.
julia patted him on the back as they joined the weasley�s in the hallway. for the
first time in his life harry would be going to a real home with a real
family, all of whom loved him dearly.

a/n - the first thing i have to do is thank my boy friend who read every single
chapter trying to fix any spelling and grammar mistakes he could. obviously
he did get them all but i want to thank him for the effort.

as i mentioned in the last chapter i will be writing a squeal. i'm going to take
some time off but i'm thinking september will probably be when i start
posting again. i'll try to respond to your last reviews of this chapter. please
don't get frustrated if i'm slow to respond.

there were so many times when i was busy that i didn't want to update, but then
i'd stop by the website and read your reviews. some of you who started this
journey with me and had to wait for every pains taking chapter, then there were
those who joined once the story was already in progress. i'm truly blessed
to have you all as reads. no amount of thank you's could truly express my
gratitude for your support. i know i'm a lucky writer and it is with a heavy
heart that i end this story. but all stories must come to an end but in their
ending there's the possibility or a new beginning. with love as always -
julia potter ;-)

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